With the €350,000, the Existence Balance project can be implemented in the coming months. The project aims to support hundreds of people from Utrecht who are transitioning from welfare to work and dealing with fluctuating incomes. A buffer budget will be made available for them to partially prevent reconciliations due to income from work.

Denise Harleman, founder of Collective Capital: ‘It is amazing to see that so many people feel involved in this issue. More than 1200 people have contributed to addressing this urgent problem. From people who receive benefits themselves to those who are far removed from welfare. It shows that there is strong support for sustainable policy change that truly helps people, rather than a system that distrusts and punishes them.’

Linda Voortman, Alderman for Work and Income Utrecht: ‘It is heartwarming that we have been able to show together that we can support people who are transitioning from welfare to work in a positive way with the Existence Balance. The Existence Balance is a temporary and local Utrecht solution for a problem that should not really exist. What would really help is a Participation Act that enables people to reach the end of the month without financial stress.’

Existence Balance

Collective Capital and the Municipality of Utrecht are the initiators of the Existence Balance. Collective Capital is a citizen movement committed to a dignified existence for everyone. To achieve this, the movement focuses on breaking down structures of inequality. The Existence Balance is a concrete implementation of this; in collaboration with the Municipality of Utrecht, the project serves as a basis for breaking down unequal structures.