The benefits affair at the Tax and Customs Administration continues to cause a stir. Now it turns out again between 2015 and 2020 for sure 1115 children have been removed from home. Although it is not certain that all those children ended up in a shelter or foster family as a result of the allowance affair, it does not take much imagination to imagine what an accumulation of coercive debt collection and bailiffs does to the home situation.
The government recognizes that children are also among the victims of the allowance affair. According to the Ministry of Finance, approximately 70,000 children suffered because their parents got into trouble because of an error in the application for childcare allowance and suspicion of fraud. The constant stress and lack of money to even buy a Sinterklaas present took a toll.
harrowing
The stories that the Missing Chapter organization previously recorded from the mouths of duped youths are downright poignant. For example, the just 10-year-old ‘S’ said: “I’ve never had anyone play with me. I’ve only played with someone else a few times. If someone wanted to meet up, I said, ‘I can’t.’”
And older children also said that they still carry the experiences with them. “If you haven’t experienced it, you can’t imagine what it means to feel like a fraud all your life,” said 18-year-old ‘Z.’ And 19-year-old ‘C’: “I think my life has already been destroyed. I really don’t know how to get it going. For example, because of the affair, I did not attend school for a large part of my childhood.”
No Compensation
These kinds of stories have contributed to the fact that the scheme that has been set up for children has even been expanded somewhat. Partly at the request of the children themselves, there is no single fixed amount, but the amount depends on the age.
An amount of 2000 euros is available for children aged 0 to 5, which gradually increases to 10,000 euros for those aged 18 and over. The exact situation at home is not tested. All children of benefit parents are eligible for the money and they must be allowed to dispose of it themselves, even if they are not yet of age.
Initially, the cabinet wanted to grant lower amounts (up to 7,500 euros), so as not to deviate too much from other existing compensation schemes for children. For example, victims of violence in youth care are all entitled to the same amount of 5000 euros. There was a fear that higher amounts could lead to a feeling of injustice among that group. Nevertheless, under pressure from the House of Representatives, a higher compensation was ultimately chosen.
The money is intended as a boost and should not be seen as compensation or damages. Because, as outgoing State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen (D66) previously wrote to the House: ‘The loss of youth cannot be repaired with retroactive effect in any way. The cabinet can acknowledge their suffering and contribute to a better future.’
Life on the ride
The program that has been set up has been given the title ‘Life on the ride’. In addition to a sum of money, the intention is that affected children can also contact a helpline and that a community is established in which experiences can be shared. According to the spokesperson for Finance, the implementation of the program should start in 2022. The payment must then also take place.
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