The PvdA wants the municipality of Hoogeveen to participate in the initiative ‘Just give money’. A project in which welfare families receive an extra 150 euros per month for two years.
“People living in poverty have more worries and stress. This has a negative effect on mental and physical health,” says PvdA councilor Saskia Manusama from Hoogeveen. During the period that the families receive extra money, it will be investigated whether this pattern can be broken. The trial is already running in the municipalities of Zaanstad, Tilburg and Amsterdam.
According to the faction, there are no specific conditions attached to how a family spends the money and there is no compensation in return. “There is no benefit that is at risk and no hassle with the tax authorities,” said Manusama. “We have often called for looking for other ways to help people. We call that coloring outside the lines.”
According to the PvdA, the donation threshold for the minima must be raised for this. At the moment, people on welfare may receive a maximum of 1,200 euros per year in donations. In Amsterdam, 300 families are taking part in the trial. There are 150 in Tilburg and Zaanstand. All three municipalities work together with the Kansenfonds. An organization that ensures that people in vulnerable situations are not left out.
The party from Hoogeveen has now submitted questions to the mayor and aldermen. “We want to know whether the Executive wants to look at the possibilities of participating in ‘Simply give money’ together with the Kansenfonds,” said the council member. “We also want to know whether the Board sees opportunities to raise the donation threshold.”
“The ‘Social minimum’ committee concluded last month that without additional measures, people living on the social minimum will be significantly short of money in the coming years. This is unacceptable to the PvdA.”