The new TONK support scheme is used much less than municipalities had expected. “Until now, this has involved thousands of applications nationwide and we had expected tens of thousands of applications,” says Peter Heijkoop of the Association of Dutch Municipalities, who is also an alderman in Dordrecht.
The Temporary Support Necessary Costs (TONK) is intended for people who, for example, cannot afford their housing costs properly due to the corona crisis. Since last month, people can apply for the scheme and then they can receive support for the period from January to June 2021. Municipalities implement the scheme and are also allowed to determine the rules and the amount of the benefit themselves. The cabinet has made 260 million euros available for the scheme.
‘Too harsh’
The Vereniging Zelfstandigen Nederland (VZN) and artists’ union Kunstenbond say that it is used so little because the rules are too strict. “Independent entrepreneurs do look at the scheme, but also see that they are not eligible for it again, even though they are having a hard time,” says Cristel van de Ven of the VZN. “This scheme is not going to bring any help, the conditions are again tough and there are also many differences between municipalities. One municipality says that you must first eat your savings up to 6,000 euros, the other up to 30,000 euros.”
“Many of our members, often couples, have dropped from average to social assistance level”, says Anne-Marie Harmsen of the Kunstenbond. “The first TOZO scheme for the self-employed was good, it did not have a partner test. But the TOZOs after it did and that brought a lot of misery. The TONK had to be a solution for that, but it often has the same basis. Also for the TONK you often don’t come qualify with a working partner or if you are just above social assistance level. This is a dire problem. “
‘Don’t want to eat my pension pot’
“Actually I do need the TONK, but I cannot claim it,” says opera singer Charlotte Houberg. Normally she earns her money with performances, but that has now come to a standstill due to corona. But because her partner does have a job and she has some savings, she can’t get TONK.
“As a musician you always have to make ends meet and that savings was meant as my pension pot for later, I really don’t want to eat that money now. My partner is now kind enough to jump in for me and that’s how we manage it. . But it is annoying to be so dependent. As a musician I actually have to keep investing in myself, in coaching and building my career. But do I have to invest his money in myself now? “
Different amounts
The maximum amount of TONK you can get differs per municipality. In Utrecht, for example, it is a maximum of 1500 euros for the entire six-month period. While in Coevorden it is a maximum of 1000 euros per month, so 6000 euros for the entire six-month period.
The municipalities recognize that there are major differences. “There is also an idea behind that”, says Peter Heijkoop of the VNG. “In East Groningen you have different housing costs than in a city like Amsterdam. So it is not surprising that customization must apply.”
VNG: be generous
He does ask municipalities not to be too strict. “Municipalities must determine for themselves which rules they attach to it. We do call on all municipalities: do it generously. Try to make the TONK really a help to the people, it was not created for nothing.”
The Ministry of Social Affairs says in a response that it is up to a municipality to determine whether a household has insufficient capacity. “The municipality is examining which part of the housing costs the household can still bear and which part not. The TONK is provided for the part that cannot be borne itself,” said a spokesman. “If households still have sufficient resources for necessary costs, the municipality will decide otherwise. The scheme is really intended for households whose income has dropped significantly.”
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