Client Demand and Welfare Rationing

Abstract

The precise role which clients play in the process of welfare rationing has yet to be clearly delineated, but it is clear that clients’ initial demands on the social services do play some part in determining the final distribution of welfare benefits. We can identify three separate areas of debate over the impact of client initiated demand on the rationing of welfare. First, writers on welfare issues have attempted to assess the impact of client demand on overall levels of social expenditure. The significance of client initiated demand as opposed to other factors such as the demands of industry in relation to overall social expenditure is extremely difficult to calculate. Since we are mainly concerned with the allocation of welfare benefits to clients rather than with the process of resource allocation to the social services, the relationship between client demand and levels of social expenditure will not be explored in this book. A second, controversial, aspect of client demand is the question whether or not clients over use or abuse the statutory social services. A third important question is whether clients themselves play a part in perpetuating social class inequalities in the distribution of certain welfare goods and services. Before exploring these issues further we should note the difficulties involved in any attempt to isolate, measure or evaluate client initiated demand for social services.