State Secretary Tamara van Ark of Social Affairs wants to make binding agreements with Dutch municipalities about enforcing the 'language requirement' when paying welfare benefits. This requirement - which states that people receiving social assistance benefits must be able to use the Dutch language or learn to do so quickly - was entered into Dutch law in 2016, but as an 'option' for municipalities. The government now wants to make it an obligation, the Volkskrant reports.
welfare recipients
Dec 8 '17 08:00
Mar 6 '17 16:10
Amsterdam is launching an experiment in paying welfare recipients for their voluntary work, alderman Arjan Vliegenthart announced. He set up this experiment in collaboration with neighborhood Oost based on a study that shows that volunteer work is dissatisfying in the long run if there is no reward, Het Parool reports.
Feb 28 '17 10:35
The number of welfare recipients in the Netherlands increased by 4 percent last year, according to figures Statistics Netherlands released on Tuesday. At the end of December 2016 the Netherlands counted a total of 467 thousand welfare recipients, 18 thousand more than December 2015.
The growth can mainly be attributed to non-Western immigrants, particularly asylum seekers who were given refugee status in the Netherlands last year. After being given a residency permits, refugees can apply for welfare.
Aug 15 '16 13:30
The Dutch cabinet wants to repair the purchasing power of elderly people and people living on welfare benefits, Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem said on Friday. "We want the elderly and people depending on benefits to also come out above zero and not lag behind the rest of the Netherlands, Dijsselbloem said
Aug 11 '16 12:40
A school is opening in Rotterdam that will teach welfare recipients how to take the first steps as an entrepreneur. EingenBaas Avondschool (Own Boss Night School in English) is the first of its kind in the Netherlands
May 31 '16 14:00
The number of people receiving welfare benefits in the Netherlands increased significantly in the first quarter of this year. In the first three months of 2016 a total of 459 thousand people were on welfare - an increase of 11 thousand compared to the previous quarter and 18 thousand compared to the same time last year, Statistics Netherlands announced on Tuesday.
May 11 '16 13:10
The municipality of Amsterdam closed 2015 with a positive financial result of 27 million euros, according to the annual financial statements the mayor and aldermen presented on Wednesday. The municipality attributes the positive results partly to the improving economy and the city's growth
Aug 28 '15 09:10
Despite the recovering labor market, the number of people on welfare increased by 4 percent over the first two quarters of this year.
