Young people with disabilities are at great risk of financial problems, which is mainly due to the complicated laws and regulations, concludes the National Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen in a report published on Tuesday. popped up. The young people say they feel hindered by the government. “That is not fair”, writes Van Zutphen, “laws and rules should help young people, not get in the way”.
According to the ombudsman, the government incorrectly assumes that young people with a disability can be financially independent when they turn eighteen. The revision of the Young Disabled Persons Disability Act (Wajong) and the introduction of the Participation Act in 2015 have made it more difficult for them to manage their own finances – they experience great administrative burdens. Government organizations also have problems implementing the more complex rules. Young people with disabilities receive less help from their environment than is assumed by the government.
In addition, they often have little prospects for the future and that work does not pay off for them due to the current laws: if they earn too much from work, their benefits are often reduced to the same or a lower monthly amount. The 2021 Employment Participation Monitor for Disabled Persons showed that the UWV registered a decrease in the number of working Wajongers for the first time in 2019.
The ombudsman asks the government to proactively inform young people with disabilities before their eighteenth birthday about how to organize their own finances and provide better personal guidance. In addition, the government should ensure that work is always of added value, even part-time, writes Van Zutphen. According to him, the self-reliance of this group, which the government assumes, is “an illusion”.