New law will increase own contribution for social assistance by hundreds of euros: Nibud

A lot of people with a disability will eventually have to pay several hundred euros more for the care they are receiving if the government continues with a proposal for a law change. The financial contribution that the people in question have to pay for the help that falls under the Social Support Act (Wmo) can rise to 328 euros a month, the Nationaal Instituut voor Budgetvoorlichting, an independent budget advisor also known as Nibud, calculated.

The Nibud made these calculations for their client Ieder(in). The umbrella organization is concerned about the increase in fees. “Care and support will be too expensive for people who are living with a lifelong disability,” the organization’s director, Deborah Lauria, wrote.

According to Ieder(in), the law proposal is also not in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It is stated in the convention that acquired rights may not deteriorate.

Nibud calculated that the maximum fee would apply to people with a yearly income of over 64,000 euros from 2027. People who earn up to 135 percent above the social minimum would pay a set fee of 23 euros a month.

It is currently the case that there is also a fixed rate for everyone, regardless of income or assets. This fee is 21 euros this year. The Cabinet wants to change that so that people who have a higher income pay a higher fee for the care that they are receiving. Above the established income limit, the personal contribution increases by 10 euros per 100 euros of income.

Things that are needed to help with the person’s handicap, like home adjustments, aids, and day care, fall under the Wmo. Municipalities are responsible for implementation, but national politics determines the financing.

Nibud director Arjan Vliegenthart has also criticized the proposal. He thinks it is a “too strong and too steep raise which means that people with an income up to the average will soon pay much more of their own contribution than they do now.”

Vliegenthart also pointed out past research, which showed that 40 percent of the group that would be affected by this change are currently already avoiding care due to the costs.