Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
480px-Lodewijk_Asscher_2013-1
- Credit: Minister Lodewijk Asscher (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Rijksoverheid.nl)
Politics
Amsterdam
ban lowering of running benefits
benefits
Cost of Living
court
family benefits
Minister Lodewijk Asscher
Morocco
ruling
Social Affairs
widows and surviving relatives benefits
Friday, 8 August 2014 - 14:51
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Dutch lose hearing on Moroccan benefits deal

The cabinet's attempts to limit the export of benefits from The Netherlands to Morocco are hitting a block. Judges previously banned the lowering of running benefits. Now, the court in Amsterdam has ruled that new benefits have to stay level, De Volkskrant reports. According to the 'country of residence principle', benefits that are transfered abroad are lowered if the cost of living is lower there. This will affect the benefits amount transfered to accounts in Turkey and Morocco, for example. This law was brought in on the 1st of July 2012, and would immediately take effect for new benefits accounts, and slowly start counting for running benefits as well. Judges, in a stream of rulings, have put a line through the cuts to running benefits to widows and children in Turkey and Morocco. According to the courts, he reduction is against international treaties. This week, the court in Amsterdam also ruled that new incapacity benefits and surviving relatives' benefits made over to Morocco cannot be cut, in accordance with the country of residence principle. The Ministry of Social Affairs is discussing an appeal with the highest judge. Because the rulings are univocal, lawyers say that launching an appeal will be in vain. The law was set up by the predecessors of the current Minister, Lodewijk Asscher, VVD minister Henk Kamp. The law brings Asscher a disappointing €100 million. Asscher is still convinced that the country of residence principle is just, as well as the limit to the export of benefits, such as family allowance. Asscher's own party, the PvdA, does not support him on this, but the PVV, VVD, CDA, ChristenUnie, and SGP do, and are pushing Asscher to bring some flexibility into Morocco. In June, PVV, CDA, ChristenUnie, SGP, VVD, Groep Bontes/Van Klaveren and Val Vliet called on Asscher to recall the treaty with Morocco if that is not amended to wishes of The Netherlands such as the country of residence principle. Minister Asscher says that recalling the treaty only has consequences for new benefits, running benefits must simply be paid out. Recalling also has consequences for fighting fraud, which Morocco is currently working against with The Netherlands. If the treaty is cancelled, Morocco may not be so eager to help. Canceling the treaty could also have a negative effect on the current atmosphere of co-operation between police and justice. This is currently going well with Dutch-Moroccans being tried in Morocco.

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Bullying, emotional abuse was common in elite Dutch triathlon training program: Report
  • Residents protesting asylum center want to buy the hotel intended for asylum seekers
  • Single average Dutch people have nearly no chance of buying a home: Mortgage advisor
  • Dance Valley director arrested on suspicion of rape
  • “Idiotic” that tents were taken from asylum seekers, says activist; Red Cross closed
  • Insight into vaccine effectiveness against monkeypox in Sept. at earliest: Virologist

Top stories

  • Bullying, emotional abuse was common in elite Dutch triathlon training program: Report
  • Residents protesting asylum center want to buy the hotel intended for asylum seekers
  • Single average Dutch people have nearly no chance of buying a home: Mortgage advisor
  • NS workers announce relay-strikes starting next week
  • Dutch economy recorded strong growth in second quarter despite inflation
  • Housing corporations want to lower low-income households' rents next year

© 2012-2022, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content