The court requires the State to contact the creditor “to determine whether a postponement is possible.” If this does not work, according to the judge, the State can “mediate access to debt counseling from the municipality if desired.”
Derikx’s ex-partner was the one who applied for the allowances when the two were still married. The recovery goes through her. A separate recovery scheme was proposed last year for former partners such as Derikx, who are dealing with debts as a result of the allowance affair. However, this is still under discussion in the House of Representatives. In the meantime, the creditors continue to knock on Derikx’s door.
Earlier this month, Derikx’s lawyer had asked the judge for a temporary postponement of payment of the debts. This is pending the final settlement for ex-partners. However, the judge rejected this on Wednesday, because the State cannot be obliged to impose such a so-called moratorium ‘for lack of a statutory regulation’.
The State previously said it “understands” Derikx’s situation, but pointed out that it wanted more clarity about the nature of the man’s debts.