News item | 18-04-2025 | 14:50
The government is taking additional measures to simplify the system of disability, to better guide people to work and to increase the minimum youth wage. The cutbacks on childcare is being canceled and there will be a feasible path to a new financing system. Below an overview of a number of topics from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.
UWV
It is very important that we support UWV by getting the quality in order and repairing errors made. To this end, almost € 500 million and structurally € 91 million have been released for various recovery actions up to and including 2030. UWV started checking a total of 43 thousand benefits during the daily wages recovery operation. The amount is used to restore the benefits of people where mistakes have been found.
In addition, incidentally up to and including 2030 a total of € 682 million and structurally € 130 million have been released to reinforce the 60-plus measure for two years, to strengthen the implementation of UWV and for the cancellation of advances that people have received pending their WIA assessment. The reintroduction of the 60-plus measure contributes to limiting the assessment arrears at UWV.
The structural reform of the system of disability schemes remains high on the agenda of the ministry. For improvements in the short term, Minister Van Hijum is structurally free nearly € 200 million. This reservation gradually builds up to the structural amount in 50 years. With the available resources, Minister Van Hijum wants to take measures as quickly as possible to limit the rising backlogs at WIA reviews. Fully reforming the disability system is a process of the long breath. That is why the ministry continues to work on the elaboration of the recommendations of the Octas Committee.
Unemployment benefit
A cut on the unemployment benefit has been agreed in the government program of this cabinet. Minister Van Hijum will get started with extra measures that ensure that people who have (temporarily) do not have a job are better guided to new work. In the tight labor market there are many open vacancies, but people do not always find their way to work well. The ministry will help with this. On the other hand, the duration of the WW will be shortened from 24 months to 18 months in 2027. The elaboration of unemployment benefits follows for the summer.
Cutbacks for childcare from the table, executable path to new system
The cabinet makes structurally extra money free for childcare, which redirects the announced cut of approximately € 250 million from the outline agreement. The government wants to realize new financing for childcare, which is easier for parents and offers them more certainty. The childcare sector has previously indicated that the current route there is too ambitious. Partly for this reason, the cabinet has decided to take more time to introduce the new system. In 2029 the new financing will start, two years later than provided for in the Outline Agreement. The cabinet continues unabated with the preparation of the bill for the new system.
The childcare allowance will be increased step by step in the coming years to 96% for all working parents. In this way, the demand for childcare can gradually rise and the sector is given time to grow the supply. In 2027, middle incomes with a aggregate income up to around € 84,000 will receive a reimbursement of 96% up to the maximum hour price. In 2029 this applies to all working parents with childcare allowance. State Secretary Nobel has reserved additional resources for the implementation of the new system and for measures to guarantee the accessibility of the reception. This way he wants to make a smooth transition possible.
Money for Municipalities for Implementation Language Reis
The chance of a job is greater if you master the Dutch language and is crucial for good integration. That is why the government believes it is important that people with a social assistance benefit have basic knowledge of the Dutch language. From 2027, State Secretary Nobel will make additional resources available to municipalities for the implementation of this language requirement. With the money, municipalities can offer language education, where the focus is on people who are just in social assistance and on social assistance recipients who benefit from a language offer. In 2027 it will be an amount of € 3.7 million, rising to € 17.4 million structurally.
Certain wage cost subsidy for social development companies
Social development companies receive wage cost subsidy from municipalities for sheltered workplaces. This is a contribution to the wage costs. With the current method of calculating, the wage cost subsidy is often determined too low. And social development companies receive too little subsidy for the costs they incur. To resolve this, there will be a fixed percentage of wage cost subsidy per employee. This offers peace for employees and more financial room for employment conditions. This year, the cabinet is allocating € 34 million for this. In the coming years, this amount will increase to structurally € 90 million in 2048. The amount is increasing because the number of sheltered workplaces will increase in the coming years.
Minimum youth wage
The statutory minimum youth wage goes up for everyone from 16 to 20 years. It is a gradual increase per age. For this, Minister Van Hijum structurally makes € 60 million available. The precise elaboration and amounts are further elaborated by the ministry. The final method of adjustment will be shared before the summer in the cabinet response to the minimum youth wage exploration.
Child -related budget
The child -related budget falls for all households with an income above approximately € 60,000 per year. The amount of the child -related budget already depends on income. The higher the income, the lower the child -related budget. With this reform, this surcharge is reduced faster from an income of approximately € 60,000 per year. This means that households from this income are less entitled to this contribution. With this measure, the child -related budget becomes more focused on the parents who need this allowance the most.
At the same time, a hardness in the child -related budget and the healthcare allowance are also resolved. At the moment there is a rule that people become a allowance partner if they live together with one other adult and a minor child of one of them is also registered at the address. This has negative consequences for the allowances they get. That rule will be abolished as of January 1, 2027. This means that caregivers and home sharers get a higher surcharge faster. This is covered by a reduction in power limits of the healthcare allowance and the child -related budget.