Uptake of Attendance Benefit for Children with a Disability in Norway: Impact of Socioeconomic Status and Immigrant Background

Abstract

In this study, we examine the take-up of a non-mean tested cash benefit for children with a disability in Norway. We question if the uptake of the attendance benefit varies according to socioeconomic status and immigrant background using administrative register data. The sample in the present study contains all children (N = 335,415) born in the period between 2000 and 2005 in Norway, as well as their mothers. As we do not have sufficient information on the eligibility criteria for the attendance benefit of all children in the sample, we also operate with a subsample of children born with Down syndrome (n = 482), who all met the eligibility criteria. The analyses of attendance benefit uptake are performed using logistic regression analysis. We present the results both on the relative and absolute scales (odds ratios and average marginal effects). The findings show that immigrants have a lower take-up of the attendance benefit for children with a disability compared with the majority of the population. Having low earnings increases the probability of taking up the attendance benefit. Finally, the findings reveal that amongst those who already receive the attendance benefit for their child, there was no social inequality in the rate granted.