News item | 03-02-2023 | 4:00 pm
With the use of a number of targeted improvement measures, it seems feasible to accelerate the recovery operation. Due to these measures, the forecast is now that 90% of the integral assessments can be completed in the first quarter of 2025. The last 10% is expected to take another six months. The forecast is based on a number of important preconditions and assumptions. State Secretary De Vries (Executions and Customs) writes this in the progress report that has been sent to the House.
Recovery operation progress
By the end of 2022, more than 59,400 people have registered as possibly affected by the Implementation Organization for Recovery of Allowances (UHT). Parents can still register as a possible victim until the end of 2023. A total of 28,000 parents have been recognized as victims. From the moment of registration, parents are entitled to support from the municipality where they live. Parents who have been found to have been duped will receive 30,000 euros. Parents can also use the debt settlement. In total, the integral assessment has been completed for more than 20,000 parents.
Improvement measures
State Secretary De Vries is taking a number of measures to speed up the integral assessment of parents’ files. For example, files of parents who are probably not affected are processed more quickly. Objections from parents who have been duped are dealt with more quickly, for example by using mediation or concluding settlement agreements. The capacity of UHT will be expanded and more software will be used where possible. Finally, parents are kept better informed of where they stand in the process.
State Secretary De Vries: “We are doing everything we can to ensure that parents who have been affected can get on with their lives again. The problems with childcare allowance have left deep scars on a large group of parents and their children. That is why it is important that we take steps now to help parents faster and better.”
Handle objection
In order to help parents better and to handle their objections more quickly, practical tests have been carried out with a settlement agreement (VSO) and mediation. It was investigated whether this leads to higher parent satisfaction and faster treatment. It has been decided to gradually expand the possibility for parents to use a VSO in the coming months. Mediation is also used more widely. The goal is that 2,500 objections can be handled in this way in the next 2.5 years.
Actual damage commission
Parents who have suffered more damage than the compensation they received after the integral assessment can turn to the Actual Damage Committee (CWS). The handling of these requests for additional compensation is not yet going well enough. A number of improvements have recently been initiated. For example, there is more transparency about the assessment frameworks used by CWS. Together with the new chair, additional measures will be examined to ensure that the CWS can handle more requests and faster.