News item | 06-06-2025 | 14:30
Of the people with an income on or below the poverty line, relatively much has a job. They often do not find their way to help. State Secretary Nobel (Participation and Integration) wants to support this group in a targeted manner. With the National Poverty and Debt Program, he also wants to make support easier and more accessible for everyone. In addition to working people, the program focuses specifically on children and young people who have to deal with money worries. The emphasis is on preventing poverty and debts and on tackling the causes.
State Secretary Nobel: “If you work you have to be able to make ends meet. And if you have it financially difficult, you should also be able to make use of the support that is there. That is not that simple now. People in one municipality claim a scheme and not in the other. Or get lost in a maze of schemes. It really has to be easier.”
Arrangements easier
There are major differences between municipalities in the schemes for people who suffer from poverty and debts. Also for children. That causes inequality. National income support schemes have also become complicated. About ten percent do not apply for surcharges, while they are entitled to that. The State Secretary will therefore work together with municipalities on a simpler poverty policy, with more attention to the position of workers.
The cabinet has also started making income support from the government more accessible. In this way the childcare allowance will disappear in the long term. There is a new system in place that is easier and working parents offers more certainty about the costs for childcare. The government also simplifies the participation law for people in social assistance.
Targeted help for workers
The government is concerned that workers with a low income sometimes do not use the support they are entitled to. The State Secretary will therefore expand current campaigns to encourage workers to check what they are entitled to, or to take the step to help with Geldzorgen. He wants to encourage employers, schools, general practitioners, birth care and other professionals to be aware of money worries and debts, so that people get help earlier. Fast help and utilizing the available schemes prevent problems arising or becoming larger.
In addition, independent entrepreneurs must get on the radar of the municipality faster with starting debts. The municipality can then offer help before the debts become problematic. This summer, municipalities, the Tax Authorities and Supplies Department are starting a trial in which data is shared to be able to detect debts faster so that help can be actively offered.
Attention to children and young people
Half of the group of people who live in poverty or with problematic debts have children. This hinders their development. For example, because it is not possible to follow a good education, to build a social network or because they have to deal with mental and physical health problems.
State Secretary Nobel: “No child deserves to grow up in poverty. Children deserve equal opportunities to develop, whatever the financial situation of their parents.”
The cabinet wants to offer these children better opportunities and break the vicious circle of poverty. It therefore works on an integral approach for families in a vulnerable position. The cabinet is also transferring the subsidies to national poverty parties in Sam & for all children, such as the Youth Education Fund, Stichting Leergeld and the National Fund for Kinderhulp and continues with the school meals.
Young people are extra vulnerable to poverty and debts. They often have a low and variable income and therefore run a greater risk of getting into trouble. Young people are also not always able to oversee financial consequences, such as when paying products afterwards. The government therefore continues with financial education in schools and with campaigns aimed at the risks of paying afterwards and gambling online.
Reducing problematic debts
The National Poverty and Debt Program includes an extensive package of measures to reduce the number of 700,000 households with problematic debts. One of the measures is the national pause button debts. With this, rising debts can be made on a break. Another measure, the basic services for debt counseling, ensures that people in every municipality have access to the same fast and good help with debts.
Bailiffs receive a duty of care to identify a rise of debts and, if necessary, to refer to debt counseling. And both private and public creditors are going to collect more social. There will be one repayment plan to prevent competition between creditors and to ensure that people with debts do not pay more than justified. There will also be one (digital) counter for government collection and an overview of public claims.