News item | 25-11-2025 | 08:15
As of today, affected parents with additional damage can choose from 2 equivalent routes. In addition to the existing route of the Stichting (Equal) Worthy Recovery (SGH), in which parents draw up a factual account together with a listening writer, there is now also the My Recovery route. In My Recovery, affected parents can apply for compensation for additional damage themselves, or with the help of a lawyer or other support person. They can complete the route at their own pace and receive both personal and digital support.
This is stated in a letter that State Secretary Sandra Palmen of Recovery and Benefits sent to the House of Representatives. In MyHerstel, damage items are made transparent and, for parents who wish, available data is pre-filled. Parents can also complete the route with a recovery conversation. Both routes work with the same generous framework with fixed amounts, as is already used by SGH. It does not matter for the outcome which route parents choose, the difference is in the way. Both routes are concluded with a settlement agreement (VSO).
“I realize that money never makes up for what went wrong in the past. I hope that parents experience recognition and that they can move on with their lives,” says State Secretary Palmen. “We have worked very hard on MijnHerstel and the registration portal. I think it is important that parents now have a choice. They can use the valued and well-functioning route of SGH and now also of MijnHerstel. It is also exciting for us. Of course, not everything will be perfect at the start. In the near future, MijnHerstel will be further developed and improved, based on the experiences of parents and lawyers.”
As of today, parents can visit the information and registration portal via the websiteschadeherstel.toeslagen.nl. This is the starting point for parents who want to submit an application for additional damage and where they can choose between the two routes. The portal provides clear information about applying for compensation and about the 2 routes that are available. Parents can also get help with applying and choosing a route. Free independent legal help is available for this. Parents who want to submit their claim via MijnHerstel can then start going through the route from next Tuesday, December 2.
With the opening of the information and registration portal and the launch of the My Recovery route, the government is following up on the recommendations of the Van Dam Commission to accelerate and simplify the handling of additional damage. The government’s aim is to complete the financial recovery of all parents by 2027. At this moment, almost all of the more than 42,000 affected parents have had a comprehensive assessment. This means that they have been financially compensated for unjustified recoveries and that they have received material and immaterial compensation. On average, parents have been awarded approximately €40,000. Their public debts have also been canceled and private debts addressed. In addition, parents can contact their municipality for broad support. Financial recovery has now been completed for the largest group of parents and their families, but there are also parents who have suffered more damage than has been compensated so far. They can now choose from the 2 routes for additional compensation.
It is expected that most parents with additional damage can be helped via the SGH route or MijnHerstel. However, it may happen that the routes with fixed amounts do not provide a solution for complex claims, for example if there was a company or damage due to high medical costs. In that case, parents can opt for an individual calculation of the damage amount. There are no fixed amounts per damage item, such as with SGH or MijnHerstel. This means that the compensation can be higher but also lower than via SGH or MijnHerstel.
The My Recovery route and the information and registration portal have been developed in recent months in close collaboration with parents, lawyers and other stakeholders in the recovery operation. Even after the start, improvements will continue to be made in the near future based on the experiences in implementation and the reactions of parents and lawyers. To date, approximately 12,000 parents have come forward for additional damages. It will become clear in the coming months how many more parents will be added. Affected parents with additional damage can register until April 1. They then have another six months to choose between the SGH or MijnHerstel route. Parents who have registered previously will also receive an invitation to choose one of the routes.