how does the elimination of poverty-creating social security benefits effect citizens with an etnic...

How does the elimination of poverty-creating social security benefits effect citizens with an etnic minority background in Denmark?

Maja Müller, Sociologist

Vibeke Syppli Enrum, Sociologist

UDDANNELSER I UDVIKLING – www.ucl.dk

Our aim through this workshop is

to present some of the consequences for migrants coming to Denmark in two perspectives:

A discussion of poverty inside rich countries?

and

Migration as commuting process and much more than a ”one-way ticket”.


Our curiosity to the main question was raised when a new Centrum-left government was established in 2011

• The new government wanted from start to reduce the poverty in Denmark:

• “The Government attaches great importance to reducing inequality.

• The Government wishes to be measured on its ability to reduce poverty and ensure genuine equal opportunities” and therefore abolished the lowest social cash benefits. (“start-hjælp” and 3 other reduced cash benefits).

• Today (2012) there is only one type of benefits for uninsured unemployed people.


This was a result of a long political debate on the possible existence of poverty in Denmark

The debate was linked to a study of the social and economic consequences of living on the lowest cash benefits and it was conducted by:

Council on Social Vulnerable, CASA, RUC, Aalborg and Copenhagen University.

The study consisted of three parts: Statistical analysis Quantitative questionnaire survey and Qualitative interview study.

The background of the study was new legislation which came into use in 2002 under the former centrum-right government.


The purpose of the reductions of (some of) the cash benefits was

• The “workfare” obligations for unemployed have increased together with the reduction of the cash benefits.

• The arguments in the political discourse and the legislation process has been that lower benefits increase motivation and realistic, rational job seeking behavior amongst the (unemployed) citizens

• In short: lower benefit levels increases motivation which also increases the inclusion through labor market.


Conclusions of the study on lower levels of cash Conclusions of the study on lower levels of cash benefits – all groupsbenefits – all groups

The financial hardship among the claimants of the lowest social cash benefits implies a high degree of deprivation compared to the majority of the population.

Children in these families can’t participate in leisure time activities, and the parents can’t buy healthy food or new shoes for their children.They are in risk of loosing their social relations.

These consequences leads in the long term to social exclusion of the families rather than inclusion – both in relation to the labour market and the society in general.

For the vulnerable groups lower levels of social cash benefits is counter-productive – and instead of improving their labour market inclusion it excludes and marginalize them.

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Those who were affected by reduced cash benefits had in common

Often, no formal education (not migrants)

Weak labor market attachment

Poor Health

commuting in and out of cash benefits system

If they have work ít was mostly insecure unskilled jobs with many shifts (no possible unemployment insurance and unemployment benefits)

No resource-building network

Ethnicity - approx. half of the recipients of the lowest benefits had a different ethnic background than Danish.

Language Problems


The reductions have affected ethnic minorities in Denmark to a very high degree

• The level of poverty has increased since 2002 and can been seen in connection with the reduction of the social assistance benefits.

• The ethnic minorities therefore have a greater risk of being poor and social excluded from the society than ethnic Danes.

• immigrants and descendants labor market attachment is considerably weaker than ethnic Danes, this applies particularly people from Somalia, Lebanon and Iraq.


Poverty 2002 - 2009 Poverty 2002 - 2009

Poor Poor exclusive students

People People

Source: Jonas Schytz Juul (2011): Fattigdommen stiger, AE:http://www.ae.dk/files/AE_fattigdommen-stiger-fortsat.pdf

Result: Increasing Poverty in DK


Health problems and economic incitements

The group was greatly affected by health problems, which prevented many people respond to economic incentives and getting a job.

Health problems were a barrier to becoming self-sufficient for a large share. More than 50% on low maintenance benefits report poor self-rated health.

Health is an often mentioned barrier for not being self supporting.


Definition of relative poverty

"Individuals, families and groups in the population can be said to be in poverty when they lack the resources to obtain the type of diet, participation in the activities and have the living conditions and the amenities which are customary, or at least widely encouraged or approved in the societies to which they belong. Their resources are so seriously below those commanded by the average family that they are in effect excluded from the ordinary living patterns, customs, and activities.“

Peter Townsend (1979)

Economic measure: People are poor if they have an

income below 50 percent. of median income.


Economic factors – results of a low disposable income

Admission of debt and hire purchase Problems in paying the bills firm Financial stress of unpaid bills, unforeseen expenses and letters from government agencies.

Offers hunting and vintage clothing For individuals / couples with children helping family allowance for the economy to drive around Parents down priorities of their own need to get your kids want - especially the visible material things.


Social exclusion - Danish measures

Income and consumption

Social relations

Political and ecucational participation

Leisiure activities

Health conditions

A person is described as social excluded if he og she is rated low on 3,4 or 5 of these conditions


Measuring deprivation

Having three meals a day?

Having fresh fruits and vegetables daily?

Being able to buy medicines prescribed by doctor? Being able to buy new shoes and clothes when you have, is damaged or worn out?

Being able to pay rent, loans for housing, electricity, gas and water on time?

Being able to make repairs in your home or replace equipment in the home that is damaged or used up?

Being able to spend a holiday away from home once a year?


Measuring deprivation

Being able to go to the dentist?

To participate in leisure activities?

That could be a member of an unemployment insurance fund?

Being able to invite guests home?

Being able to go out with friends one evening?

Being able to visit family or friends (who live more than 20 kilometers from home)?

Being able to provide gifts for birthdays and similar? Being able to have a phone / mobile phone?

Having TV at home?

Having computer, playstation and similar?

Having internet at home?


Divided by types of services

Intro social

assistance

Reduced social

assistance

Regular social

assistance

Unem-ployd

Employed

Eating three meals a day NOCHIL 39 33 20 12 4

CHILD 29 25 9 4 2

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables daily

NOCHIL 54 43 21 10 5

CHILD 52 45 27 13 4

Buying medicine NOCHIL 21 31 19 5 2

CHILD 28 34 5 8 2

Buying new shoes, clothing and outerwear

NOCHIL 68 62 52 23 7

CHILD 63 47 7 7 8

Being able to pay rent, loans for

NOCHIL 18 29 16 6 2

housing, electricity, gas, water on time

CHILD 29 24 12 0 3

Exercise and leisure interests NOCHIL 45 43 28 18 5

CHILD 53 56 33 11 6

Experience of different kinds of deprivations for families without children and families with children. Percentage who answered yes to that they due to economic reasons has failed the activity

Source: Hansen, Finn Kenneth & M. Azhar Hussain (2009). Konsekvenser af de laveste sociale ydelser - Forsørgelsesgrundlag og afsavn. CASA, August 2009.

DeprivationsDeprivations

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Social Exclusion

There is a clear risk of social exclusion associated with relative poverty – not being able to participate in social activities and having social relationships. The core of the concept of social exclusion is an involuntary non-participation through various types of exclusion mechanisms and processes, as it lies outside the individual and group opportunities to take control. Social exclusion is generally about people who at the same time is very disadvantaged or excluded on a number of key areas in life.

.


Identified risk factors of social exclusion

Shame on the missing money.

Feeling of being outside and unworthy concerns everyday stress.

Over a longer period: deterioration of mental status, depression and impotence

The children get involved and it affect their opportunities in life.

There is an accumulation of poor living

conditions and lack of participation in a number

of key areas in society

UDDANNELSER I UDVIKLING – www.ucl.dk19

Did the reduced social benefits cause/mean that you or others in the household became more hopeless, and / or were encouraged to apply for a job?

Source: Ejrnæs, M., Hansen, H. & Larsen, J.E.(2010): “Levekår og coping – Ressourcer, tilpasning og strategi blandt modtagere af de laveste sociale ydelser”. København, CASA.


The case of the Poor young lone mother: Carina

Carina is young mother living alone with her son.Following the decision to abolish the lowest benefits a discussion of poverty among different MPs arised in the public sphere and in the media "we" all should visit a poor Danish family to experience reality and rediscover the findings from the first poverty study.But the selected case was a single parent, whose economic situation was better than what most people see as poverty. - Six out of ten person considered that the difference between cash benefits and wages for low paid jobs was too small..


Social assistance as ”self-service”

The Minister of Social Affairs had 'hard to imagine "that a social assistance recipient like Carina could be poor, and…

"we need a debate on how we regard our welfare benefits. We should stop to consider society as a self-service buffet, where one can profit and not need to contribute.

"Instead, the government will support "hard working employees. Those who get up early, makes liver pate sandwiches, handling the kids and go to work.” (Minister for Taxation)


Our findings in the spring 2012

Our information are few and effected of the new debate on “poverty”, we interviewed 9 people with minority background, some on mobile with informants from previous studies, some face-to-face interviews more in the nature of informal conversations.

• Further information were collected through professionals, street-level workers, volunteers at an anonymous counseling and from a group

Protesting against degradation in relation to long-term sick citizens on social cash benefits.

They documented a decline in emergence help.


Findings

We found – as in the earlier study 2008-10 that the group was

divided. Broadly into 3 groups structured by there relation to

labour market.

The situation is different between persons who previously

have received lower benefits and those who have not or only

had for a shorter period.

There is also a difference between those who are in a position

where they have options or helpful coping strategies and can

"see a light at the end of the tunnel" and these who are so

pressured that they can not see a possible change in their

situation.

Poor health is the most common cause for this.

Debt is a main course for people “not seeing the light…”


A new political discource?

In a few days in the spring 2012 the results from the study were swept away of a ”public and moral” opinion.

Workfare I still the case and from a liberal view seen as lower benefit levels increases motivation which in turn increases the labor market inclusion.

To what? With elements similar to the circumstances seen when we are dealing with colonization, race and sex mixed with traditional attempt to regulate (excluded) social groups.

Colonization inside the national baundaries?


An ordinary job in Denmark? Male refugee from Somalia

“Not a chance.

Such a system function here. I want to work, but the Danes did not bother about us.”??“You live here too and of course know what I mean. I will not talk about it”


Male migrant worker, 48 years, married and father of two Children

"When I was sick, it was hard, and when they stopped one of cash, it was pure hell. I was mentally down. Imagine you are suddenly without food on the table. You have some girls that you need to worry about. If I were alone, I might go back to my family, but I have children who are Danish, and I'll take care of (...). I could not sleep because I kept thinking about how I should find food and get my family to function. Believe me - I did not sleep, I feel bad. (...) And I also need to go to a psychologist, but could not afford it.



"The worst thing is when they stopped the cash benefit we had no debt. But after when they stopped the cash benefit, we had 1,000 kroner left. I have no family here in Denmark who had money we could borrow. So I had to borrow from those we know. And I have borrowed £ 500 and 1,000 at a time (...) and my son has also borrowed about 20,000 kroner He felt so bad that his mother was ill, so he borrowed to help us, he bought medicine for her and helped to cover his siblings books and what they now lacked. And now he is in debt “



“One is always punished. I was sick with my back and also my shoulder because I've had tough jobs. And then you can not manage to get well - you are actually penalized by the system rather than helped. On the contrary, you get further down(...). Just to get a letter through the door, so I get a shock - what's next? So you get really bad, because you do not know what threat is coming now.”


28-year-old migrant mother of three children

"They [the children] are prioritized, and although it is very expensive so I try to find a solution to it - to buy clothes that they want the shoes they want, satchel and lunch as they wish , pretty much everything, so I buy just to satisfy them (...) They stay with Danish children in school, and their lunches must look good. It all must be almost like Danish children and it is very hard to live up to if you have a bad economy (...) they will not be bullied, but they also want to be in a group… so I buy almost everything, I will be a good mother “