Dutch allowances system under pressure: authorities need to be more proactive
In the media
Experts argue for automatic payment of allowances and say authorities should stop reclaiming overpaid amounts. Fatma Çapkurt, Assistant Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law, says 'research shows that government agencies expect too much of people.'
In the recent debate about the Dutch system of income support allowances, researchers and interest groups point to the need for structural reform through proactive services. The current system with complicated application procedures is inefficient and causes suffering and uncertainty among citizens.
Çapkurt stresses that the crux of the problem lies not only in the system’s implementation, but in the responsibility of government agencies. She says that citizens cannot be expected to understand complicated systems if they are entitled to income support. ‘If citizens are entitled to receive an allowance, the relevant agencies should do everything possible to ensure they receive it.’ That requires government agencies to be able to exchange personal data more proactively, but privacy legislation currently restricts such cooperation.
More information?
Read the full article on the NOS news site (in Dutch)