[What is the situation for rehabilitation money recipients after the support ceases?]

The objective was to follow up clients who had reached the newly imposed 52-week limit for medical rehabilitation benefits in order to clarify future main sources of income. The setting was five municipalities in the county of Sør-Trøndelag in Norway, including the city of Trondheim. The study was carried out as a two-year historic prospective study of a sample of recipients of medical rehabilitation benefits, based on follow-up data from local National Insurance of offices. Among a sample of 260 clients on medical rehabilitation per 30 June 1993, 250 were available for analysis in June 1995. After two years' follow-up, 12% were occupationally active while nearly half the sample had been granted a disability pension. A major change of status occurred during the last three months before July 1994. After two years of follow-up, nine out of ten clients were still receiving support from the National Insurance Scheme. 37% were still on time-limited benefits. These data provide little support for limiting the time on rehabilitation benefits with the objective of getting people back to work.