Lodewijk Asscher, Minister of Social Affairs between 2012 and 2017, received signals at various times from several organizations or people that the reclaiming of childcare allowance was causing major problems. Yet the alarm bells did not go off with the current PvdA leader.
In a period of about three years, there were six times when Asscher was warned about the errors in the too strict policy of the Tax Authorities, the interrogation committee investigating the benefits affair listed on Monday.
In addition, there were MPs, industry organizations and civil servants who sounded the alarm. How is it possible that Asscher did not take advantage of this with, for example, a new bill?
“I understand that it is difficult to place”, said Asscher. “I agree it’s not right.”
Former State Secretary Frans Weekers stated earlier in the day that he had given Asscher a memo with new plans for a less strict supplement policy, but nothing happened.
‘Idea that I have been watching World Cup administrative incapacity’
The phenomenon recurred regularly: important documents about the benefits or discussions within the top of the civil service that eventually ended up at a dead end.
“I have the feeling that I have been watching the World Cup administrative incapacity”, said committee chairman Chris van Dam (CDA) after more than three hours. “How does this happen to us in the Netherlands?”
Just like Weekers and his successor to Finance Eric Wiebes (now minister), Asscher was unable to provide a conclusive answer. With the knowledge of today he would have liked to do many things differently.
For example, Asscher came across a document that it is “sour” for parents when they had to repay all benefits obtained if they had not paid their own contribution in full. Even if this happened by accident. The all-or-nothing treatment.
“I didn’t know that parents who were acting in good faith would be the victims. If I have any regrets, it is that I haven’t asked how it can be done.”
Afterwards, Asscher would have preferred to react differently to a letter he received at the end of 2013 from a concerned grandparent who saw that her son and daughter-in-law had gotten into trouble because of the policy. “An assistance signal was sent, but I sent a cold letter back stating that I could not respond to individual signals.”
Asscher did not reach the plan for a milder policy
During these interviews, there was already regularly discussed a policy document from Finance (responsible for the implementation of the childcare allowance) and Social Affairs (responsible for childcare) that contained plans to make the allowance approach less strict, but that document would never have reached Asscher. , a senior official said last week.
The current PvdA leader now also said that the document had not reached him “to the best of my knowledge”. “Not formal or informal.”
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