Benefits affair: Wendi helps victims get back to their lives

July 24 at 7:00pm • Updated August 2 at 2:01am

Nearly 35,000 parents in the Netherlands have been affected by the benefits affair in recent years. This scandal has completely turned their lives upside down. Many municipalities are still busy giving these people a fresh start. “One to two new victims still report to us every month,” says Wendi Sprengers. She works at the municipality of Den Bosch to help affected parents.

Written by

Megan Hanegraaf

Between 2004 and 2019, many parents got into trouble due to errors with the tax authorities. They were wrongly accused of fraud with their childcare allowance and had to repay a lot of money, which often led to large debts.” The psychological influence this has on people cannot be expressed in monetary terms. Even people who had to pay little back sometimes experienced a greater impact because their lives fell apart like a house of cards,” says Wendi. From people who lost their jobs to evictions and divorces. Victims were affected in many ways. Not just financially, but mentally as well. “Most of them are still upset and sad about what happened to them. They have distrust, trauma, stress and shame,” says the employee. “We often hear that people really had to survive and still do so years later.”

“We're looking at what it takes for people to make a fresh start.”

In Den Bosch, there are around 300 parents who have reported to the tax authorities. Given national figures, just over half will eventually be classified as victims. In addition to financial compensation from the government, they can receive help from the municipality to make a fresh start. Around 90 Bosscheners signed up in recent years. The help of Wendi and her team is very diverse: from buying a new sofa or washing machine to helping them make an appointment with a psychologist or dentist. “We're looking at what it takes for people to make a fresh start,” explains the consultant. “In doing so, we have to make a distinction between what is a wish and what is necessary, so that damage is prevented in the longer term.” But that is sometimes quite complicated, because a fresh start can mean something different for everyone. An example is a victim who needs a new bike. It is often still possible to substantiate why the consultants think whether or not this is necessary. “But then the question is how expensive that bike can be. We usually look at what is accessible and affordable for everyone. But there may also be reason to opt for an electric bike. For example, if someone has a disorder,” explains Wendi. That's why the consultants are sometimes asked “why one victim gets something and the other doesn't”. “It's custom work. So what one person gets does not automatically apply to the other.” That makes the job fun, but tough for Wendi at the same time. “It's great that I can help people build a future. But I do have to collect a lot and communicate well. Because with one wrong word, the trust they have built in you can be gone again.”

“Some people still don't know if they were duped or not.”

There are already victims who are able to rebuild their future with the help of Wendi and her colleagues. But that is far from the case for all parents and their children. “A lot of people still haven't gone through the tax authorities procedure. So some people still don't know whether they were duped or not.” And new applications are constantly being added: seventeen in Den Bosch this year. These are affected parents, children and former allowance partners. For now, the consultants are still busy with the consequences of the benefits affair. “Ultimately, the goal is to support everyone in such a way that they no longer need our help. But the pace is quite different. Some people want to be able to do everything on their own as quickly as possible, while others find it much harder to let go of victimhood.”