PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

Using representative survey data from East and West Germany, this study investigates whether low-income people have fewer social contacts outside their households and receive less social support form other people. For low-income families in West Germany it is shown that kinship structures are less regionally dispersed and that the number of contacts with friends is lower, more respondents state that they have no friend to talk to and, consequently, expect less support from these people. The differences are especially striking for the financial support expected from others. When asking about the social support received, low-income respondents report as much support received as other people, but they are clearly less satisfied with the nature of the support they receive. Although all the income effects reported are rather small, they still remain if the differing household structures, unemployment status, and social assistance payments are compensated for.