News item | 05-12-2024 | 13:23
Minister Eddy van Hijum (SZW) and State Secretary Tjebbe van Oostenbruggen (FIN) today sent the government’s response to the House of Representatives on the final report Blind for people and law from the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry on Fraud Policy and Services (PEFD).
The committee of inquiry investigated how the government combated fraud in the field of social security and benefits over a period of almost 30 years and what consequences this had for people. The committee has made important recommendations for improvement. Following the example of the previous government, which gave its first response in June, the current government once again emphasizes the seriousness of the findings and the importance of restoring trust between the government and the people we work for.
The government must always have an eye for people and justice. In line with the Government Program, the government wants to strengthen the democratic constitutional state and better protect people’s fundamental rights. That starts with arrangements that are humane, simple and fair. Especially when it comes to schemes aimed at income support or where enforcement is involved. The government is therefore working on:
Reforms of the benefits system
The government recognizes that the current system of benefits is too complex and is therefore working on a thorough reform. The government wants the childcare allowance to disappear in the long term. In its place will be a new financing system for childcare. The new system is simpler and offers parents more certainty about what they have to pay.
The government is also working on reforming the benefits and tax system and various parts of social security. The aim is a system that better suits people, is more predictable and offers more certainty, thereby preventing chargebacks. The government looks at the simplification in context, because it does not matter to people through which scheme something is arranged. It all ends up on the same ‘kitchen table’.
In addition, the government is continuously working on improvements to the current benefits system. For example, there will be extra support for people with a partner who is forced to be away from the family, and people will have longer to apply for benefits.
Review of enforcement policy in the field of benefits and social security
The government is committed to a fairer enforcement policy that does not unnecessarily punish errors and mistakes severely. The current system of enforcement and sanctions will therefore be adjusted. There will be a right to err. For benefits, this means, for example, that the government is working on a bill that will ensure that people will no longer receive fines if they unintentionally provide information too late.
The cabinet will also introduce the Social Security Enforcement Act. The basic principle is that the response to violations is proportionate and takes into account someone’s personal situation. Strict rules that lead to unreasonable outcomes, such as disproportionate fines, are being tackled. People also get the opportunity to tell their story before decisions are made.
Accessible and proactive services
The government strives for a government that better supports and actively helps people. New laws and regulations are therefore tested before and after introduction for feasibility and understandability. The government also wants to work according to the ‘no wrong door principle’ in which government organizations work together to ensure that people always receive the right help, regardless of where they knock.
With the proactive services bill, the social security cabinet wants to help municipalities, UWV and SVB to actively approach people. This should prevent people from missing out on schemes.
Finally, the government emphasizes that restoring trust is not just about laws and system improvements. But also about a different way of working, with attention to responsiveness, awareness of the rule of law and values-driven work.
Coherence with the advice of the State Commission on the Rule of Law
All recommendations from the PEFD report will be discussed in the government response. However, some of the committee’s recommendations have a broader scope than benefits and social security. Whether they overlap with the recommendations that the State Commission on the Rule of Law presented on June 10, 2024 in its advisory report The Broken Promise of the Rule of Law. Recommendations that require broader consideration will be further elaborated in the government’s response to the state commission’s report (scheduled for the summer of 2025) or in specific letters to the House of Representatives.