Research project PE/SS/03 (Research action PE)
Despite the many forms of social aid, major groups of the population still live in a state of precariousness. One reason for this is the non-use of entitlement to benefits by certain categories of people covered by the social security system, notably for lack of knowledge, information, and assistance. The Belgian data on the degree and exact causes of non-use of rights stemming from the social security system are insufficient as a basis for elaborating an adequate policy in the area. On the other hand, the idea of building "social supermarkets" in order to improve the relations between social security and citizens was born way back in the sixties, yet it has never been put into practice.
The research objective is to link the two approaches to the problem and to make proposals through research-actions, in order to give the so-called neglected groups access to social security.
The research thus has a triple aim :
- to examine the determinants of the non-use of rights stemming from the social security system;
- to give concrete form to a global proposal concerning decentralisation of information on social security towards the disadvantaged groups;
- to provide a legal basis for it.
The pertinence of the results as the political level lies within the framework of the prediction that abuse of social benefits will be considered during the nineties for political and especially financial reasons. This is socially justified only if one gives priority to meeting the real (minimal) social needs and if the solidarity basis of social security is reinforced.
