The role of policy design and administration in non-take-up of minimum income schemes: social workers’ perceptions of the Valencian Inclusion Income
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22325/fes/res.2026.297Palabras clave:
non-take-up, minimum income schemes, Renta Valenciana de Inclusión, social workers, social assistanceResumen
Relevant literature on non-take-up, i.e. a situation in which individuals entitled to a benefit do not receive it, has traditionally focused on the claimant's perspective. However, more recent theories propose a holistic model that emphasizes how the administration and policy design of benefits influence the rational decision to claim. These models highlight that factors unrelated to the claimant could generate information costs, application barriers or stigma that may discourage individuals from applying. Despite these advances, there is limited knowledge about the perspective and opinion of social workers involved in managing minimum income benefits. This research, using a survey-based approach to social workers, provides some relevant results based on their opinions. Firstly, the perception of non-take-up among social workers is lower than its actual magnitude. Secondly, the interactions and coexistence of schemes administered by different levels of government, but with similar objectives and target population, appear to contribute to the non-take-up of the regional benefit. Thirdly, a complex application procedure linked with a lack of information provision, together with perceived staff shortages and inadequate training, contribute to increasing non-take-up. However, for social workers, the existence of exceptional routes to access the benefit is seen as a positive factor in mitigating this problem.
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