Table 4 Summarizing emerging themes about reasons as to why caseworkers could not think of any older recipients from the cluster

Caseworkers did not pay attention to the variables used in this study when supporting older recipients.

The caseworker stated that he did not pay attention to how much pension older recipients received (in male Cluster 1): “Of course, I do not distinguish between providing support to older recipients with and without pension.” (Caseworker 1, 7 years of experience, municipality A)

One of the caseworkers also indicated that he did not pay attention to information on psychiatric disorders among older recipients (in male Cluster 3): “I think their symptoms of psychiatric disorder weaken gradually as they get older. I would rather need information about their functional ability.” (Caseworker 1, 7 years of experience, municipality A)

The combination of variables in the same cluster was difficult to understand.

In general, the caseworkers expressed difficulty in understanding the cluster characteristics when older recipients’ reason for starting public assistance and their current age were in the same cluster (in male Cluster 5 and female Cluster 5), for example, “I think there are a lot of circumstances depending on the age when older recipients started receiving public assistance. So, it is difficult for me to understand the cluster characteristics that mix up their current age and the time when they started receiving public assistance.” (Caseworker 2, 9 years of experience, municipality A)

In addition, the caseworkers felt that it was difficult to understand the cluster characteristics when various reasons for starting public assistance were in the same cluster (in male Cluster 5 and female Cluster 5), for example, “Some older recipients have received public assistance because they had trouble making ends meet before becoming old. Others have received public assistance because they quit their jobs when getting old and they could not live on their pension. I don’t think we can put all these people together.” (Caseworker 1, 7 years of experience, municipality A)

Caseworkers could not recognize older recipients with certain characteristics.

The caseworkers stated that they could not think of older recipients with mental or physical disability (in male Cluster 2), who had been certified for support need (in male Cluster 4 and female Cluster 3), who had started public assistance due to divorce/bereavement, unemployment, or disease (in female Cluster 5), and who received pension above median (in female Cluster 5).

Some caseworkers suggested that older recipients who had been certified for support or long-term care need received more support from care managers than from caseworkers, therefore they could not think of older recipients: “I don’t really get involved with older recipients who are certified for support need.” (Caseworker 4, 3 years of experience, municipality B) “I receive inquiries from care managers about various things, and then I get involved (with them).” (Caseworker 2, 9 years of experience, municipality A)

One of the caseworkers gave a detailed reason as to why he could not think of female older recipients who received pension above median: “For example, if their reason (for starting public assistance) is due to divorce or bereavement, I can think of a few older recipients who had relied on her husband’s income or pension, hadn’t paid their premiums, and then ended up receiving a small pension after their husband passed away.” (Caseworker 3, 3 years of experience, municipality B)

Another caseworker expressed that he could think of female older recipients, but not male ones (in male Cluster 5): “I think of a couple in this cluster.” “I can easily think of female recipients.” (Caseworker 2, 9 years of experience, municipality A)