החוליה החסרה: תפקידם של סוכנים למיצוי זכויות חברתיות

Take-up agents (professionals or semi-professionals who actively help their clients realize their rights) mediate between service users and welfare state agencies. However, despite their central role in the take-up process, these agents are still a missinglink in research and theories of taking-up social rights. This article seeks to turn the spotlight on the role of take-up agents. Through semi-structured interviews with 25 Israeli take-up agents from different sectors (public, business, and non-profit), the present study examines the role of these agents through their own perspective –their goals, role perception, and strategies. It finds significant differences between them in terms of their goals, how they perceive their role, and how they use and mix different strategies. By discussing these similarities and differences, and outlining the diverse role of the take-up agents in the take-up process of social rights, we try to complete the missing part of the picture.