News item | 09-06-2023 | 3:30 pm
Bringing the Participation Act more into line with what people can do and need. In a nutshell, that is the goal described by Minister Schouten for Poverty Policy, Participation and Pensions in her vision letter Participation Act in Balance to the House of Representatives. Last year, the minister presented which more than 20 measures within the law will be tackled in the short term. Today she shares how she wants to improve this law more broadly.
The Participation Act is a safety net for when things go wrong. This provides income support for those who need it and helps people (partially) return to work. However, we see that within one scheme there are often already many conditions, rights and obligations. And that these are also interpreted differently in different laws. For the executive professional, providing targeted help turns out to be complex and for the benefit claimant, the provision of assistance is no longer a stepping stone to work, but work in itself.
Last year, Minister Schouten took concrete steps in broader legislation [20 maatregelen] and is now pressing ahead: there will be a broad program to revise the Participation Act in the longer term. She also enters into discussions with municipalities, other professionals and social assistance recipients about how the services of executive professionals can be strengthened.
Avoid conflicting legislation
With the revisions, Minister Schouten wants to lay a new foundation for the Participation Act. This basis must also be more in line with the broad social domain, such as the Social Support Act (Wmo) and the Youth Act. Different legislation is now too much in each other’s way. That is what the minister wants to address. The law must be simpler, more comprehensible and in line with people’s ability to act.
On 14 June, a committee debate on, among other things, the Participation Act will take place in the House of Representatives.