Couple must repay €42,615 in benefits after selling goods online via classified ads
A couple from Breda must repay 42,615 euros in social assistance after authorities found they ran a small business selling bicycles, scooters, paintings, and household items on Marktplaats while receiving benefits, RTL reported.
The municipality began investigating in 2021 after an anonymous tip that the couple, who had received benefits since 2017, were selling goods—including reportedly stolen items—without reporting the income. Investigators found 370 Marktplaats ads between September 2017 and October 2021, with prices ranging from 2 to 1,800 euros.
The couple told officials in December 2021 they had “maybe a few years ago sold something via Marktplaats, but that was not much” and claimed they had stopped selling because it was unprofitable. They also kept no records.
The municipality reclaimed benefits paid from April 2018 to October 2021, citing a breach of the obligation to report additional income.
The couple appealed to the Central Appeals Tribunal (Centrale Raad van Beroep, CRvB), arguing many items were unsold and that sales were occasional private transactions. The CRvB upheld the repayment, ruling that the number of advertisements showed a sustained business and that incidental private sales still must be reported.
