Cabinet focuses on improving additional claims routes for allowance parents

News item | 31-05-2024 | 14:15

The cabinet continues to focus on measures to improve and accelerate the handling of additional damage suffered by affected benefit parents. By strengthening the existing damage routes and additional measures, a claims system will be set up that better meets the needs of parents and provides more clarity about how to deal with damage. This is stated in a letter about the handling of additional damage sent by Secretary of State De Vries for Finance (Surcharges and Customs) to the House of Representatives.

Improvement of existing routes

Some of the affected parents still have additional damage after the Catshuis Scheme and the Integral Assessment (IB). They can choose from various routes to compensate for that damage. Parents who need a precise claim calculation can contact the Actual Damage Commission (CWS). In recent months, important changes have been made at CWS. With the new way of working and more capacity, CWS will ensure generous funding, better treatment for parents and a higher production rate. In addition, some of the parents can use the Regieroute VSO, where a precise damage calculation is concluded with a settlement agreement (VSO). The cabinet will also scale up this route by initially doubling the capacity.

New routes

In addition to improving the existing routes, the government is still working on a fully digital damage route with fixed amounts. With supporting documents, parents can then indicate for a number of claims which applies to their situation. This route can also be closed with a VSO. This route will be further developed before the summer. To better help parents choose between the different routes, a central registration portal will be created within a few months, including a calculation tool and a route guide.

Damage Route Foundation (Equal) Worthy Recovery

With the ambition to give parents more control over their own recovery and to accelerate the settlement of damage, a large-scale pilot was launched last September via the Foundation (Equal) worthy Recovery (SGH) to arrive at 300 VSOs between affected parents and the State. In this alternative route, based on the parent's story, a claim statement is drawn up using lump sums. The pilot has now been completed and evaluated. The cabinet appreciates SGH's approach and the high level of parental satisfaction. However, the evaluation shows that a number of adjustments are necessary before a decision can be made about possible scaling up.

Safeguards

For the cabinet, it is important that the individual results of the route are explainable and traceable. This requires additional safeguards. For example, the evaluation showed that damage that occurred before the benefits affair is also reimbursed. There also seems to be an accumulation of similar claims and underlying documents do not always match the award of claims. In addition, safeguards are needed when it comes to scaling up the SGH route. The government wants to make agreements with SGH as soon as possible about the necessary adjustments so that the time between the end of the pilot and a decision about the continuation of the damage route remains as short as possible. Pending the decision on the continuation of this damage route, no new VSOs are currently being concluded for the pilot in accordance with the agreement concluded. To take into account parents who are already well advanced in the process, the cases of parents who have already had a so-called feedback discussion about the damage calculation before the completion of the pilot. At the moment, it is still unclear how many parents may want to make use of the alternative route. In the event that all parents sign up for this route, the required budget could amount to an additional 3.1 billion euros. This is on top of the 1.6 billion euros that have already been reserved for dealing with additional damage.

See also

• Childcare allowance Topic

Responsible

• Ministry of Finance