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Too Ashamed to Complain: Cuts to Publicly Financed Care and Clients’ Waiving of their Right to Appeal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2013

Ellen Grootegoed ,
Christian Bröer  and
Jan Willem Duyvendak
Ellen Grootegoed
Affiliation:
Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam E-mail: e.m.grootegoed@uva.nl
Christian Bröer
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam E-mail: C.Broer@uva.nl
Jan Willem Duyvendak
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam E-mail: W.G.J.Duyvendak@uva.nl
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Abstract

This article examines how Dutch citizens with long-term care needs have used existing legal opportunities to respond to cuts in publicly financed care. Unexpectedly, most did not make use of their right to appeal the reduction or elimination of their previous entitlements, even when this led to marked problems in daily life. Thirty interviews with disabled and elderly persons and their care-givers revealed that specific social norms on how to feel about the cuts inhibited the lodging of appeals. Given the new policy's stated intention of preserving care for the most needy, many affected clients felt they had no right to be angry. Despite their (often objectively warranted) grievances, they did not appeal as breaking with the new moral code would trigger feelings of shame – of not being autonomous, of demanding too much when others are worse off, and of appearing ungrateful.

Keywords

Long-term carecuts to the welfare stateright to appealfeeling rulesshame
Type
Themed Section on Welfare State Reform, Recognition and Emotional Labour
Information
Social Policy and Society , Volume 12 , Issue 3 , July 2013 , pp. 475 - 486
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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