Paths to none-take-up: Why people in need are not included in public welfare systems

Abstract

This article is based on a study of individuals who are not receiving the public aid and benefits that they are entitled to, and in need of, what is known as ‘non-take-up’ (NTU). The aim of the study is to explore the various causes of NTU in the public welfare system in Sweden, and the main research question is why individuals that are eligible for public benefits do not receive them. This question is approached from a bottom-up perspective, by interviewing 33 individuals in a NTU situation about their stories of interaction with public welfare institutions. The individuals were selected in collaboration with a charitable non-profit organisation that receives people in need who are not receiving any other public support, or all the support they are entitled to. Through the use of content analysis, the interviews identify several causes of NTU. These include poor information and means of communication with welfare institutions, technocratic rules, unfriendly treatment and unprofessional behaviour among social workers, and interagency mismanagement of individual cases. The conclusions suggest that NTU is a serious problem in the Swedish welfare system that causes both unnecessary suffering and added costs to society.