Only harrowing stories, Mayke hears
Profile photo of Corné Verschuren
Because those questions are there, Mayke knows. Like with the Van der Zanden family
. For them, the misery started about fifteen years ago. The couple has two children and ran a thriving business together. They lived in an owner-occupied house and also had a house by the sea.
But then an attack by the Tax and Customs Administration of several tens of thousands of euros suddenly threw a spanner in the works. The result was bankruptcy and the sale of their two houses. From that moment on, they were under a magnifying glass at the Tax and Customs Administration. The parents were suddenly listed as defaulters. Things went from bad to worse within the family as well. The parents became depressed and that led to one of their sons being placed out of their home. That son is now an adult and lives on his own.
“They were seen as scammers and as drug dealers.”
So great were the consequences for the Van der Zanden family. There was already a compensation of thirty thousand euros, but the family is still in debt. Their son hardly comes home after a difficult period. “I won’t get the time with my child back,” says mother.
The parents feel damaged and there is a lot of distrust towards the government. They feel that they are constantly being watched by the Tax and Customs Administration, the municipality and the police. At first they didn’t even want to text other people. Mayke has seen it before. “They lost friends and family. They were seen as scammers and even drug dealers. Left home, got into debt, became depressed and couldn’t work. Try and get that right.”
“I’ll sit on the couch and listen to their story.”
Mayke has been at home with the Van der Zanden family since mid-September. “Asking for help is usually a desperate attempt. I sit on the couch and listen to their story. They need that. Most of the victims say: no one listens to my story. That is harrowing.”
According to Mayke, parents are looking for order in the chaos: “Most parents in a benefit affair are traumatized. Emotion and sadness fight for priority. I try to solve the problems together, for example by making agreements with the Tax and Customs Administration and municipal authorities. On the In the longer term, I will look at the possibilities for work, so that they can get everything back on track themselves.”
“Parents have suffered much more misery than expected.”
Reuniting families and children who have been placed out of home is not the primary goal. “We first want to improve contact, so that they eventually come home again. For some parents or children it can sometimes go too fast. A better visitation arrangement can also be a first step.”
Mayke supports a total of six families to get their lives back on track. “So much misery has been done to parents, much more than expected. Some are still in debt. People have become depressed or are now divorced. Entire families have been disrupted. Being on the blacklist of the UWV, Tax Authorities or the municipality has a lot impact. There are even families who have fled abroad.” * The support team member and the family tell their story anonymously. Their names are known to the editors of Omroep Brabant.You can get in touch with the Support team here
link .
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