In June, the Social Minimum Committee already advised to raise the social minimum. This morning, the second report of the Committee was presented to Minister Carola Schouten for Poverty Policy. This took place during a well-attended symposium at Juliana Plaza in The Hague.

Committee Chairman Godfried Engbersen elaborated on the current debate about existential security in the Netherlands and the recommendations in the 2nd report of the Committee to improve financial existential security.

“Financial existential security is not only about sufficient income, but the system must also be more predictable and accessible, so that households actually receive what they are entitled to.”

The Committee advises to legally establish that there should be a reassessment of the social minimum every 4 years. The Committee also believes that the legal position of children should be strengthened, for example by establishing a legal right to basic provisions such as hot water and energy.

The report from the Committee shows that the relationship between the national government and municipalities is out of balance due to the increase in tasks assigned to municipalities. Differences between municipalities have therefore become too large. It can make hundreds of euros difference per month where someone lives. As a first step in the recovery, national regulations should be sufficient for the majority of people with an income at the social minimum. The national government should also centrally regulate a number of things, such as protective administration, additional health insurance, or school laptop provisions.

It is also necessary to make clear agreements about the target group and the level of local provisions, so that everyone is treated equally, regardless of their place of residence. Moreover, municipalities should only receive additional tasks in exceptional cases, as they are already overloaded. Municipalities can then focus on individual customization.

The government must have a realistic view of people when helping them to find work. Those who can work receive assistance in finding a job. To facilitate the transition from social assistance to work, the Committee wants to make the rules for additional earnings more flexible. For people who cannot work, there should be opportunities for sheltered work or other meaningful activities.

The cabinet must also work on a thorough revision of the benefits system, with a focus on security. The Committee formulates a number of principles for this.

Finally, the Committee states that in order to provide existential security, policy is also needed in areas that fall outside the Committees mandate, such as debt assistance, housing market policy, and healthcare.

For a complete overview of the Committees recommendations, see the appendix below.

The Social Minimum Committee consists of eleven members, all experts in the field of social security, socio-economic, fiscal, and legal issues, and was established in July 2022 after a motion was passed by Member of Parliament Omtzigt. Minister Schoutens mandate was to investigate what different household types need to make ends meet and to participate in society, and to conduct research on the system. For this, the Committee made good use of discussions with citizens, social organizations, and implementing organizations.

To support the report, the Committee commissioned SEO Economic Research to conduct an international country study on social minimum systems.