Youth left burdened by student debt despite being victims of child benefits scandal
Local youth ombudsmen in Rotterdam-Rijnmond, Amsterdam, The Hague/Leidschendam-Voorburg, Utrecht, and Nijmegen have launched a nationwide effort to document student debt among young people affected by the Dutch child benefits scandal. Many continue to carry DUO loans, while the government refuses to cancel their indebtedness or disclose the full scope of the problem.
“The government cannot provide real recovery if we do not know how extensive the problem is,” said Annemarie Tuzgöl-Broekhoven, Children’s Ombudsman for the Amsterdam metropolitan area. “Under the motto ‘It is not your (study) debt,’ we want to make young people’s stories and debts visible and show the government why immediate action is needed.”
Stans Goudsmit, youth ombudsman for Rotterdam-Rijnmond, told NOS Radio 1 Journaal: “Children of victims of the child benefits scandal have been treated unfairly because of the impact on their parents. They often struggled to make ends meet during difficult times. Some took out DUO loans to help support their households and then had to repay them just to buy groceries and clothing.”
Many of these youths, like their parents, were victims of the scandal. They grew up in poverty, lost their homes, or had to drop out of school to support their families. Some took DUO loans to help their households survive.
Charelle, 30, carries more than 50,000 euros in debt. Her father controlled the DUO payment card, leaving her without access. Souhaila, a medical student, faced major delays in her studies and fears repaying her student OV card and grants. Carlos, 25, relied on a DUO loan as a teenager to pay rent. Ombudsmen say these cases are not isolated.
Parents receive compensation for debts and damages, including DUO loans, and even minimally affected ex-partners sometimes have debts repaid. Affected youths, however, remain burdened with non-restructurable DUO loans and limited support. Ombudsmen call this unequal treatment unjustifiable.
