Restricting the influx of disability beneficiaries by means of law: experiences in Norway

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To study effects of restricting eligibility criteria for disability pension in Norway 1991. METHODS: Documents of 288 applicants from 1990 and 1993 in one county were analysed for social and medical variables as well as for the determination and its causes. RESULTS: Incidence of applications for disability benefits during a three-month period was 223 per 100,000 inhabitants in 1990. The focused group of 'medically imprecise' musculoskeletal diagnoses concerned 26% of all applicants, while 'precise' musculoskeletal diagnoses were given to 15%, 'imprecise' psychiatric diagnoses to 7% and 'precise' ones to 6%. The number of applicants fell by 39%, surprisingly about the same in all social and diagnostic groups. Denial rate increased from 8% to 21%. Denials mostly struck women, middle-aged, those living alone, those with short education, and applicants with 'medically imprecise' diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: Restriction of disability benefits affected applicants with the least resources the hardest, and seems to contribute to the on-going process of marginalizing the weaker part of the population.

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