High degree of not making claims for social welfare in OECD countries

The degree of claims for social welfare, measured in terms of social welfare recipients in relation to all entitled persons, is rarely identified in the statistics. Studies on five OECD countries show that social services are claimed by approximately 40% to 80% of entitled persons. The claim level is higher the more generous the services are and the longer they are extended. Also the level of information on claim requirements and the application procedures as well as the expectations regarding a swift decision on the application and the result of the decision play a role in the claims level for social welfare. Social-psychological factors can also determine whether entitled persons fail to submit claims.