In Europe, national and regional parliaments widely recognise citizens’ entitlement to protection in areas like housing, fuel and access to health and social care. But across the continent, growing numbers of people entitled to social benefits never actually receive them.
Complex application processes, burdensome requirements, long waiting times and increasingly digital-only services have made social rights into an obstacle course. The day-to-day reality of navigating these systems has created a stark contradiction at the heart of Europe’s social models: the law recognises rights, but they are exceptionally difficult to exercise.
