Did you know that you are in Zoetermeer library can you get help in all kinds of areas? The professional, trained volunteers of the Information point Digital Government (IDO) are available several times a week to support you with the most diverse tasks. The service is completely free and you don’t even have to be a member of the library. Shemoel Brauckman tells us more.
“In the library, we have noticed for years that many people find it quite difficult to, for example, arrange things on the computer. This causes people to miss out on money because they do not know exactly what they are entitled to. This has become even more important since the surcharge affair. People are afraid of getting into trouble, so they don’t apply. This often means that people leave money unnecessarily. As a library, we wanted to do something about this, which is why we started Geldpunt at the time.”
From Geldpunt to IDO
“Geldpunt was an initiative of the Zoetermeer Library, where we mainly helped with tax returns and allowances. We were able to prevent many problems simply by watching with people. After a while Geldpunt was taken over by the national initiative Information point Digital Government (IDO), which has made our services a lot broader.”
Example situations where the IDO can help:
- requesting a medical examination when you want to renew your driving licence
- apply for wmo
- object to a fine
- provide information about student finance
- apply for allowances
- make an appointment for a booster shot
- install apps on your phone
- digital declaration
- create an email address
- create a DigiD
- giving advice on whether or not to switch health insurer (via Independer)
- come up with a strong password
- request new passwords
- Request a regional taxi
Fall out of the boat
“Digitization is only increasing, which causes people to fall by the wayside. We want to prevent that as much as possible, and therefore help people with all kinds of things for free. This can be in the digital field, but also in terms of content. Especially during the corona period, the IDO was called upon a lot. We made appointments for booster injections and helped people install QR codes on their phones.”
Smart tips
“We also help preventatively and are happy to give tips. When someone came to apply for the energy surcharge from the municipality, we asked: ‘Do you also have a Zoetermeer pass?’ Many people did not know that they are entitled to this. While you can, for example, take out a library subscription or have your child go to swimming lessons.”
Everything to make it as easy as possible for you
“Our volunteers are trained professionals who know exactly where the opportunities lie for you. If we cannot help you further ourselves, we will always refer you. We do this in a ‘warm’ way: we remove all barriers by calling the agency ourselves and making an appointment for you. We then write on a note where you are expected when.”
Warm welcome with coffee or tea
“If you come to visit us, we welcome you with a cup of coffee or tea. Sometimes you have to wait a while, and sometimes it’s your turn right away. We always help you in a confined space, with two volunteers at the same time. That is safe for both parties. And we first give you a consent form that explains how we handle your data; everything is GDPR compliant. We support everything, but also give you privacy when you have to enter personal details on a website, for example.”
Just drop by!
In short, do you think: I don’t know? Then just visit the ID. They can certainly help you on the right track. The service is free, you don’t have to be a member of the library and you don’t even have to be from Zoetermeer. Everyone is welcome. These are the times when you can go: