Restricting the influx of disability beneficiaries by means of law: experiences in Norway.

Objectives: To study effects of restricting eligibility criteria for disability pension in Norway 1991.

Methods: Documents of 288 applicants from 1990 and 1993 in one county were analysed for social and medical variables as well as for the determination and its causes.

Results: Incidence of applications for disability benefits during a three-month period was 223 per 100,000 inhabitants in 1990. The focused group of 'medically imprecise' musculoskeletal diagnoses concerned 26% of all applicants, while 'precise' musculoskeletal diagnoses were given to 15%, 'imprecise' psychiatric diagnoses to 7% and 'precise' ones to 6%. The number of applicants fell by 39%, surprisingly about the same in all social and diagnostic groups. Denial rate increased from 8% to 21%. Denials mostly struck women, middle-aged, those living alone, those with short education, and applicants with 'medically imprecise' diagnoses.

Conclusions: Restriction of disability benefits affected applicants with the least resources the hardest, and seems to contribute to the on-going process of marginalizing the weaker part of the population.