Large municipalities have made fewer cuts to social benefits in recent years

In recent years, municipalities have made fewer cuts to social benefits. A positive development that has been long awaited, according to experts. While almost 6,000 cuts were made in the ten largest municipalities in 2019, this figure was only half in 2022, although the number of welfare recipients has not changed, NOS reports.

Gijsbert Vonk, Professor of Social Security Law in Groningen, welcomes this development. In his opinion, the cuts have been imposed too quickly and have truly already turned into an "automatic circus of measures," he told the broadcast.

There are various reasons why social benefits may be reduced. Municipalities can introduce this measure if those affected do not show up for their appointments or cannot be reached. The sanctions are intended to encourage welfare recipients to continue actively looking for a job. The consequences are severe for those affected, as they usually have to get by on the reduced benefits for several months.

However, the number of cuts varies greatly between Dutch municipalities. For instance, Rotterdam imposed almost twice as many measures as Amsterdam, even though the Dutch capital had more welfare recipients.

While the number of cuts in social benefits has decreased the least in Utrecht, the exact opposite can be found in the city of Breda. With a decrease of 89 percent, Breda has the lowest number of cuts in the Netherlands.

Several factors have played an important role in the decline, such as the coronavirus measures and the energy crisis. Since it was more difficult for those affected to gain a foothold in the labor market during the Covid-19 years, this has led to fewer cuts being made, explains a spokesperson for the municipality of Breda.

Also during the energy crisis in 2022, the municipality decided not to impose sanctions on families facing financial hardship due to rising energy costs. "Imposing measures that put a family in further financial difficulty is the least desirable situation," the spokesperson told NOS.