To take or not to take? An overview of the factors contributing to the non-take-up of public provisions

Abstract

This article aims to provide an overview of the main mechanisms underlying the non-take-up of public provisions by bringing together insights from existing theoretical models and the large body of empirical evidence within Europe and the U.S. We draw on studies based on the rational choice model as well as on insights from psychology and behavioural economics. Whereas most studies are confined to the client level only to explain non-take-up, an important focus of attention here is the way policy design and administration can affect the uptake of public provisions, as well as the role the broader social context plays in understanding non-take-up. In this article, we bring different strands in the literature together and develop a theoretical framework which lists and links the various mechanisms at play. At the same time, we summarise most important empirical findings on the drivers of non-take-up, and focus on lessons from the literature regarding how policies could be redesigned to reduce non-take-up.