“1 in 6 Adults in the Netherlands Struggle with Multiple Issues, SCP Study Finds”

One in six adults in the Netherlands has to deal with an accumulation of problems, for example a shortage of financial resources and a lack of a social network. This has emerged from research by the Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP).

About 2.3 million Dutch people have problems in three or more areas. These can be problems with everyday matters, such as being able to run a household independently and doing administration. The over-65s, singles, single-parent families and people with a migrant background are more likely than others to experience an accumulation of problems.

There is also a chance that the group will grow due to inflation and higher energy prices, the SCP warns in the report View of worries.

People with an accumulation of problems often have few ‘resources’ such as financial resources, education and health. As a result, they are in a vulnerable position and are often less able to participate in society. About one in ten people is in such a vulnerable situation. They are also more often lonely and feel less satisfied with their lives than others.

The SCP states that it is important that municipalities are alert to this group of people and that their self-reliance should not be overestimated. The provision of information should become more accessible and simpler for them. At present, information is sometimes only available digitally and application forms are often complicated.

From the second report published today by SCP, titled More insight into parentsshows that more than one in ten parents with minor children have to deal with an accumulation of worries or problems in at least three areas.

The parents not only have concerns about the upbringing and development of their children; for example, they also have financial problems and are socially isolated. They often cannot fall back on their networks and have few resources.