News item | 16-12-2025 | 06:48
In the Netherlands, approximately 355,000 workers with a low income live below or just above the poverty line. Single workers are overrepresented. They are financially vulnerable, are more likely to have debts and do not always know how to find help and income support schemes. That is why the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment is launching the ‘Step to help’ campaign.
The consequences of financial worries can be serious. People with a low income (up to 125 percent of the poverty line) more often avoid social activities, sleep worse on average, sometimes have to skip meals or live in fear, for example of being evicted.
Moderate to major financial worries
A poll by research agency Ipsos I&O – among 408 single workers with a low income between the ages of 25 and 65 – shows that four in ten people have moderate to major financial worries. Only half know where they can get help with financial worries.
In some cases, people with financial problems can make use of special assistance, have their municipal charges waived or apply for allowances and minimum schemes. Working people with a low income make relatively less use of these schemes because they think they are not intended for them. Or because they are afraid of having to pay back money. In the Ipsos I&O poll, 35 percent of single workers indicated that they were afraid of this, especially people between the ages of 25 and 35.
Employees below or just above the poverty line often work a relatively low number of hours. The majority cannot work full-time, for example because they are following an education, caring for family or because of an illness.
State Secretary Jurgen Nobel (Participation and Integration): “By working more hours, many people can get out of poverty. But that is not possible for everyone. Working must pay and schemes to help workers with financial worries must be simpler, without people having to fear repayments. I am working on this together with municipalities.”
Preventing larger debts
By providing early help to workers with financial worries, larger debts can be prevented. That is why the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment is launching the ‘Step to help’ campaign, in which it encourages workers with a low income to contact Geldfit. This organization helps people with money stress to check whether there are funds they are not yet using and discuss their concerns about money.
In addition, the ministry sees a greater role for employers in conducting discussions about the work situation and referring for help. Employers can quickly see if someone has financial worries, for example because wages are garnished due to debts, or if an employee has multiple jobs to make ends meet. There may also be absenteeism due to illness. An employer can spend an average of 13,000 euros annually in costs as a result of an employee with financial worries.