News item | 04-07-2025 | 15:15
The cabinet wants to thoroughly revise the current Participation Act. The new law must ensure that people go to work much faster or participate in a different way, through better support from municipalities. The law should also offer people more certainty about their income, for example if they start working again. In this way, people in social assistance know for sure that going to work also pays off.
The Participation Act is intended to give people who are temporarily unable to provide their own livelihood. The cabinet wants to focus the law more on work and participation and make it easier. In his letter to the Chamber, State Secretary Nobel (participation and integration) outlines what the new law can look like.
State Secretary Nobel: “We have a huge shortage of people on the labor market. Everyone is of added value. That is why we have to encourage work for those who can. And offer people more certainty about the support they receive. At the same time, it must also be clear that the assistance is not without obligation: there is also obligations to do with it again.
Better support to work and participation
There is often a lot playing in the lives of people, so they can’t take the step to work yet. The government therefore wants people to receive appropriate and effective support in the new Participation Act. This is possible, for example, by making a broad intake when applying for the benefit. The municipality then asks which obstacles someone experiences in the field of things such as money, living, care, family, work or training. And can then quickly refer to help.
In addition, the cabinet believes it is important that employers are rather and more closely involved in the guidance towards work of people in social assistance. This means that the municipality can clearly portray people who can work with potential employers. And that is clear what employers can expect from a municipality. This helps to get people to work faster.
A certain and simpler Participation Act
The current Participation Act is far too complex and difficult to implement. People often do not know for sure whether going to work pays off. She keeps that uncertainty against the step to work. It is also sometimes unclear what obligations they have and what information they must pass on. That is why the government wants to simplify the Participation Act considerably. For example, by making agreements together with public service providers about what we do and do not see as income or assets. These agreements will then apply as much as possible to the entire social security system.
Follow-up
The measures will be further elaborated in the coming period. In addition, the government has recently proposed measures to improve the Participation Act in the short term and to maintain the language requirement. If the Senate agrees to these measures, they are expected to enter into force in 2026.