Rather stay on welfare than earn extra extra money because you are afraid that things will not work out otherwise. People who live in inherited poverty often have to deal with so many agencies and schemes that it feels safer to be on welfare, instead of getting ahead.
“It makes you nervous.” This is what Johan Brongers of welfare organization Tintengroep says at the table at the TV Drenthe program De Staat van Drenthe. He is talking about all the schemes and agencies that exist to help people in poverty.
He sums up: “You have to deal with the WMO, with appropriate education, with the youth law, with the participation law, with the care law. And each law has its own organization, its own financier and that often works against each other.”
His conclusion: abolish the surcharges. “People get confused. As soon as something changes in your income, you have to report it. But are you doing it right?”