חסמים ואסטרטגיות למיצוי זכויות: נקודת המבט של מקבלי קצבאות הביטוח הלאומי

Non-take-up of social rights refers to a situation in which a household eligible for a benefit fails to receive the benefit in practice. In recent years, the academic discourse on non-take-up is becoming increasingly widespread. Studies show that non-take-up of social benefits is a common, far-reaching phenomenon that characterizes many social security programs all over the world. Non-take-up is also considered a multi-dimensional phenomenon, in which different factors influencing non-take-up operate. These factors can be divided into types and operate at different levels: from the client level to the societal level. However, so far only a handful of studies examined the perceptions and experiences of benefit claimants in relation to the factors contributing to non-take-up. This necessity is even more pronounced in the Israeli context, where research on the subject is still in its infancy. Moreover, so far, the academic literature has not addressed the active coping strategies of claimants faced with factors contributing to non-take-up. Therefore, this article examines factors influencing non-take-up and coping strategies as reported by recipients of income support and disability benefits through semi-structured interviews with 20 benefit recipients, 10 of each benefit. The findings show that for most participants, the take-up process was heavily saturated with non-take-up factors of various types: knowledge, bureaucracy, and psychological factors. In addition, participants also point to the “Medical Board” and the need to report to the Employment Service’s bureau as critical points in the take-up procedure. Finally, participants actively used two main strategies to address these factors to non-take-up: developing personal expertise in the procedure, alongside seeking external assistance. These findings are discussed in light of the research literature, the limitations of the study, and possible implications to policy in the field.