This is stated in a letter about the policy priorities for benefits that State Secretary Palmen (Recovery and Benefits) sent today on behalf of the Ministers of Social Affairs and Employment, Housing and Spatial Planning, and Health, Welfare and Sport, as well as the State Secretaries of Participation and Integration, and Taxation, Customs and Excise to the House of Representatives.
State Secretary Palmen: “The current benefits system is too complicated. Therefore, we are going to simplify the system. For childcare, we will relieve parents by transferring the money directly to organizations. We also want to make the other benefits simpler, so people know in advance what to expect.”
New System
The cabinet is working on reforming the tax and benefits system. This is being done by exploring how the number of different types of benefits can be reduced. This will decrease repayments and the underutilization of benefits, thereby lowering the marginal pressure for workers. If, after the reform, benefits still remain, efforts will be made towards a benefits system where benefits are granted as proactively as possible, without advances, and where the principle of having is keeping applies.
As indicated in the coalition agreement, work is also being done on a new funding model for childcare. Under this system, the compensation for working parents will be transferred directly to the childcare providers. This system will be income-independent, providing more certainty for parents.
Improvement of the Current Benefits System
Reforming the benefits system takes time. Therefore, efforts are also being made to improve the current system. For example, by proactively informing people about their rights to benefits or by establishing a national overview of claims and payments, so that people have better insight into amounts still outstanding with the government. By better utilizing data that people have already shared with the government, the Benefits Service can also better determine the amount of a benefit, thereby preventing repayments. Furthermore, people will have a longer opportunity to apply for a benefit, reducing the risk of missing out on benefits.
Restoration of Benefits Scandal
Meanwhile, the cabinet is unwaveringly committed to the financial recovery of parents who have been wronged in the benefits scandal. At the request of the cabinet, the Van Dam Committee recently made recommendations to improve the recovery operation. Based on those recommendations, the cabinet is now taking various measures to better assist parents with additional damages.