9 December 2025

New research from the Central Planning Bureau (CPB) shows that social networks protect some people better against setbacks than others. People with a high chance of becoming dependent on benefits are more often surrounded by others who also face increased risks. Moreover, they more often have people in their environment with lower incomes and assets, which weakens the informal safety net.

Social networks play an important role in how people can cope with setbacks. Besides their own financial resources, knowledge, and skills, people can also draw on resources in their immediate social environment. This new research shows that this possibility for support is very unequally distributed. The study is based on CPB estimates of the chance of benefits and detailed network data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The relationships included in this study are partners, parents, children, colleagues, and neighbors.

 

Risk Clustering

Earlier CPB research already showed that at the individual level, different types of risks – such as job loss, illness, and debts – are very unequally distributed and accumulate among a small group of vulnerable people. This new study shows that these vulnerable people are usually also found in the same social circles. Partners of people in the highest risk group have, for example, a six times higher chance of becoming dependent on benefits than partners of people with low risk. This creates a clear concentration of vulnerability within networks.

Weaker Financial Support Environment

People with high labor market risks are more often connected to people with lower incomes and assets. As a result, they can rely less on financial support or other resources when problems arise. Especially groups that already experience more insecurity, such as flexible workers, are hit harder: they have both a higher risk themselves and a less powerful support network.

Policy and Livelihood Security

The CPB emphasizes that policy should not assume that everyone can get support from their environment. Stronger formal safety nets, more preventive support, and more connection between groups can help reduce vulnerability and increase livelihood security.
 

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