News item | 30-09-2025 | 14:13
The Senate has unanimously adopted the bill Participation Act in Balance. It contains more than 20 measures that contribute to people with social assistance benefits going to work faster or participate in a different way. You also continue to make an effort to learn the language will be definitively mandatory.
State Secretary Jurgen Nobel (Participation and Integration): “Those who are in social assistance must return to work, participating or learning the language again. This adopted bill contains more than 20 measures that further stimulate that. It remains clear that the assistance is not without obligation: there are obligations on the other hand. Such as learning the language in order to increase the chance of a job.”
Stimulate work
A social assistance benefit must be aimed that people get back to work. The too complicated rules now sometimes work against that. People are reluctant to work from a benefit. They are afraid that they will have to pay off allowances and do not know if they are making progress. Because of this law, people get more financial security when they start working. For example, the additional earnings limits to work with retention are broadened so that people can take the first step towards work. And municipalities can grant a ‘buffer budget’. This ensures that people who are dealing with changing income from work are also rewarded for that.
The rules concerning donations – such as a bag of groceries – are relaxed. Municipalities will soon also be able to provide assistance with retroactive effect. This prevents people in the first period from being without income and thereby building up debts, making problems worse.
Language requirement
The government believes it is important that people on social assistance benefits control the Dutch language in order to increase the opportunities for a job. State Secretary Nobel therefore wants municipalities to focus extra on this language requirement and also maintain it. From 2027, municipalities receive structural extra resources for offering language education to people with social assistance benefits. If no effort is made, the benefit must be cut. The State Secretary is discussing this with municipalities.
Introduction in steps
Municipalities are given the space to introduce the bill in phases. 2026 counts as a transition year. Agreements have been made with municipalities about this. The law is a first step towards a fundamental revision of the Participation Act, in which work and participation will be even more central.