News item | 23-06-2023 | 4:00 pm
The government wants affected parents with additional damage to be able to opt for accelerated claims settlement early next year. In this alternative assessment, parents are given more control and a damage framework with fixed amounts is used. The requirements for assuming causality are also falling. This means that parents need to demonstrate less precisely that damage is the result of the benefits affair. After the summer, the cabinet wants to start a regional pilot with this new form of claims handling.
State Secretary Aukje de Vries of Benefits and Customs writes this in a letter about the further elaboration of the package of measures that was sent to the House of Representatives on 2 June. With this supplementary package, the government wants to further accelerate and improve the recovery for parents who have been affected by the problems with the childcare allowance. The expected acceleration does depend on the feasibility of the measures and the available capacity of implementers. In addition to the introduction of the alternative route for parents with additional damage, this involves an adjustment and simplification of the objection process and faster provision of files. Measures have already been initiated in the past period, in particular to improve and accelerate the integral assessment.
Alternative damage route
Some of the parents affected have a higher damage than compensated on the basis of the 30,000 euros from the Catshuis scheme and any supplement from the integral assessment. They can contact the Actual Damage Committee (CWS) for this purpose. The cabinet sees that there are many parents who need a different approach to the treatment of additional damage. That is why the cabinet now wants to introduce an alternative damage route in addition to the CWS that is faster and more broadly meshed. Parents can use an online decision aid to find out which route best suits their situation.
With the accelerated claim settlement, parents themselves or with guidance can write down the story about their life before and after the problems with the childcare allowance. The damage items are determined on this basis. Parents with simple claims can also choose to complete an online form. The alternative route is concluded with a settlement agreement.
After the summer, the cabinet wants to start a regional pilot with the accelerated processing to gain experience with the new approach. Depending on the available capacity, the alternative route will open to all parents at the end of this year or early next year. It is estimated that the last requests for additional compensation can be processed via this route in the first half of 2027. That does depend on the number of parents who make use of the scheme and its feasibility.
Objection and availability of files
Parents who have lodged an objection or asked for their file often have to wait a long time for it to be dealt with. To speed this up, the government no longer wants to submit all (simple) objections separately to the Objections Advisory Committee. By better informing parents during the integral assessment and using mediation, the cabinet first of all wants to prevent a parent from feeling the need to lodge an objection. The government still assumes that the objections to the first test and the integral assessment will be completed by the end of 2026. With the introduction of new paint software, the backlogs in the provision of files should be cleared by the end of this year. In addition, one type of file is used as much as possible so that it can be delivered to parents and lawyers earlier and better.