Non-Take-Up of Social Security Benefits in Europe

The phenomenon of non-take-up of social security benefits has social policy implications and is therefore a relevant subject for study for social policy analysts. This article starts with a discussion of the arguments in support of this general statement, followed by an overview of available data on non-take-up in various western European countries. Britain, and to a lesser extent the former West Germany and the Netherlands, are exceptions to the general rule that in European countries very little is known about the incidence of non-take-up. Not only from an academic point of view, but also from the viewpoint of any policy- maker trying to take measures which could solve the problem, the reasons for non-take- up are of great relevance. Research into the factors affecting (non)take-up is reviewed and the actual 'state of the art' in the theoretical modelling of the phenomenon of (non)take-up is presented and discussed. At the end of this article an alternative 'three-t-model' is presented, on factors affecting the decision whether or not to put in a claim for.a social security benefit.