Former tax director: stomach ache about the benefits affair, top knew about it
NOS News•Monday, November 16, 2020, 6:06 PM
Former director of tax authorities Blokpoel: stomach ache about the benefits affair, top knew about it
Former director of the Tax Administration Blokpoel says he has “very often had a stomachache” from the situation at the Benefits Department, which is at the center of the childcare allowance affair. According to him, “minor mistakes by parents” led to “very big consequences”.
Blokpoel was interviewed by the Parliamentary Interrogation Committee on Childcare Benefits this afternoon. The affair, where parents were unfairly labeled as fraudsters and had to face claims that got them into trouble for years, had been known to the top of the service for years, according to Blokpoel. Then-Secretary of State Wiebes for Finance also knew about it, and Social Affairs probably did too, he said.
According to Blokpoel, the concerns and a sense of impotence about the issue were more widely shared within his organization. So why was it that the investigations into parents' alleged mistakes were not stopped, SP MP Leijten asked him. “I've said several times if it couldn't be done differently, but at Surcharges, there was no room for it to be done differently,” Blokpoel replied. Eventually, he also became aware that the law could not be implemented in any other way.
Dual feeling
Looking back, Blokpoel says he feels partly responsible for “a situation where things have been done that are so loud that it gives me a stomachache”.
The former director immediately said at the start of the interrogation that he appeared before the committee with a mixed feeling. “As a former director, I am proud of some things at the service, but all of that is overshadowed by the misery that parents suffered during the affair.”
The House is investigating how things could have gone wrong in the childcare allowance affair. What was meant to be financial support for families with young children became a long-term affair for thousands of people. The parents were unfairly classified as fraudsters by the tax authorities and sometimes had to repay tens of thousands of euros. With financial and social problems as a result.
The Parliamentary Interrogation Committee interrogates since today, for two weeks, including (former) ministers, state secretaries and top officials under oath.
The first to speak this morning was lawyer Eva Gonzálex Pérez, who assists dozens of affected parents. She stated that the benefits affair was her reminds me of Kafka and that she bumped into a wall.
In the interrogation, MPs wanted to know how it happened that large groups of parents who made smaller mistakes were massively labeled as fraudsters and dealt with. Blokpoel, who was director of the tax authorities from 2010 to 2016, painted a picture of a period where “more and more attention was focused on combating fraud”.
Because the allowance service itself did not have an investigation service, a special team was set up to investigate the errors with surcharges, the so-called CAF team. As boss of the tax authorities, Blokpoel was responsible.
Groenlinks MP Van der Lee sees in this team's interview reports - which were only recently shared with the House - that Blokpoel talks about “fraud patterns” quite often. Blokpoel says that after the large-scale fraud with Bulgarians who had received unfairly benefits on a large scale, the organization increasingly received signals of “organized fraud.” There were also signs in the workplace that the tax authorities were not properly able to address these frauds.
He recalls that the evaluations about this team were often positive: they were even considering expanding the team. In the end, that didn't happen.
With what image of your performance should we leave the hall today?
Chris van Dam, chair of the Parliamentary Childcare Allowance Interrogation Committee
According to committee member Van der Lee, the interview reports show that Blokpoel just called for stopping surcharges, even if there was nothing wrong with it. But Blokpoel denies that. “That statement sounds like something I couldn't have said,” said the former director.
Committee chairman and CDA MP Van Dam said he did not find the stomach ache that Blokpoel spoke about in all documents. “What image of your performance should we leave the hall with today?” Van Dam wanted to know. “Is it true that, in your view, the law could not be enforced differently? But you wanted it?”
To that, Blokpoel replied affirmatively. He would have “so much” wanted that.
Tomorrow, the hearings of the Parliamentary Interrogation Committee will continue. An additional interrogation has been added: the author of a recently surfaced internal memo comes to the committee.
The memo showed that the top of the Tax Administration's Department of Benefits was advised as early as 2017 to offer compensation to affected parents from the benefits affair.
NOS News•Monday, November 16, 2020, 6:06 PM
Former tax director: stomach ache about the benefits affair, top knew about it
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Former director of the Tax Administration Blokpoel says he has “very often had a stomachache” from the situation at the Benefits Department, which is at the center of the childcare allowance affair. According to him, “minor mistakes by parents” led to “very big consequences”.
Blokpoel was interviewed by the Parliamentary Interrogation Committee on Childcare Benefits this afternoon. The affair, where parents were unfairly labeled as fraudsters and had to face claims that got them into trouble for years, had been known to the top of the service for years, according to Blokpoel. Then-Secretary of State Wiebes for Finance also knew about it, and Social Affairs probably did too, he said.
According to Blokpoel, the concerns and a sense of impotence about the issue were more widely shared within his organization. So why was it that the investigations into parents' alleged mistakes were not stopped, SP MP Leijten asked him. “I've said several times if it couldn't be done differently, but at Surcharges, there was no room for it to be done differently,” Blokpoel replied. Eventually, he also became aware that the law could not be implemented in any other way.
Dual feeling
Looking back, Blokpoel says he feels partly responsible for “a situation where things have been done that are so loud that it gives me a stomachache”.
The former director immediately said at the start of the interrogation that he appeared before the committee with a mixed feeling. “As a former director, I am proud of some things at the service, but all of that is overshadowed by the misery that parents suffered during the affair.”
The House is investigating how things could have gone wrong in the childcare allowance affair. What was meant to be financial support for families with young children became a long-term affair for thousands of people. The parents were unfairly classified as fraudsters by the tax authorities and sometimes had to repay tens of thousands of euros. With financial and social problems as a result.
The Parliamentary Interrogation Committee interrogates since today, for two weeks, including (former) ministers, state secretaries and top officials under oath.
The first to speak this morning was lawyer Eva Gonzálex Pérez, who assists dozens of affected parents. She stated that the benefits affair was her reminds me of Kafka and that she bumped into a wall.
In the interrogation, MPs wanted to know how it happened that large groups of parents who made smaller mistakes were massively labeled as fraudsters and dealt with. Blokpoel, who was director of the tax authorities from 2010 to 2016, painted a picture of a period where “more and more attention was focused on combating fraud”.
Because the allowance service itself did not have an investigation service, a special team was set up to investigate the errors with surcharges, the so-called CAF team. As boss of the tax authorities, Blokpoel was responsible.
Groenlinks MP Van der Lee sees in this team's interview reports - which were only recently shared with the House - that Blokpoel talks about “fraud patterns” quite often. Blokpoel says that after the large-scale fraud with Bulgarians who had received unfairly benefits on a large scale, the organization increasingly received signals of “organized fraud.” There were also signs in the workplace that the tax authorities were not properly able to address these frauds.
He recalls that the evaluations about this team were often positive: they were even considering expanding the team. In the end, that didn't happen.
With what image of your performance should we leave the hall today?
Chris van Dam, chair of the Parliamentary Childcare Allowance Interrogation Committee
According to committee member Van der Lee, the interview reports show that Blokpoel just called for stopping surcharges, even if there was nothing wrong with it. But Blokpoel denies that. “That statement sounds like something I couldn't have said,” said the former director.
Committee chairman and CDA MP Van Dam said he did not find the stomach ache that Blokpoel spoke about in all documents. “What image of your performance should we leave the hall with today?” Van Dam wanted to know. “Is it true that, in your view, the law could not be enforced differently? But you wanted it?”
To that, Blokpoel replied affirmatively. He would have “so much” wanted that.
Tomorrow, the hearings of the Parliamentary Interrogation Committee will continue. An additional interrogation has been added: the author of a recently surfaced internal memo comes to the committee.
The memo showed that the top of the Tax Administration's Department of Benefits was advised as early as 2017 to offer compensation to affected parents from the benefits affair.
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