期刊名称:DIW Diskussionspapiere / Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Berlin
出版年度:2007
卷号:2007
出版社:Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Berlin
摘要:Using representative micro data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study
(SOEP) for the year 2002, we analyse non-take-up behaviour of Social Assistance
(SA) in Germany. According to our simulation as much as 67 percent of the
eligible population did not claim SA in that year which is slightly higher than
reported in previous work. We particularly emphasize the role of measurement
error in estimating non-take-up. First, we consider misspecifications of the
simulation model due, e.g., to households claiming to have received SA although
not simulated as eligible ("beta-error"). Second, we employ sensitivity analyses
revealing the impact of measurement errors in reported household income and
wealth as well as in simulated needs. Misreported household incomes appear to
have the greatest impact on the estimated non-take-up rates, as shown in
Monte-Carlo-type simulations. Regression analysis of the potential determinants
of non-take-up behaviour confirm that rational motives - i.e., the expected net
utility from claiming - as well as stigma and other barriers play a crucial role
in explaining the puzzle of large non-take-up rates of SA.
关键词:Non-take-up, social assistance, measurement error, microsimulation, SOEP