First national monitor on non-take-up of benefits provides insight into who is missing out on money
This week, the Ministry of Finance published the results of the first national monitor on the non-take-up of income-related social benefits, compiled by Panteia, Revnext and Leiden University on behalf of Dienst Toeslagen (Benefits Office). This monitor shows how many people who are entitled to healthcare allowance, housing allowance, child budget or childcare allowance do not apply for these benefits — and thereby miss out on money.
"It is important to reduce non-take-up as much as possible, and for that, insight into (the causes of) non-take-up is essential." – S.Th.P.H. Palmen-Schlangen, State Secretary for Finance – Herstel & Toeslagen (Recovery & Benefits), in the Dienst Toeslagen progress letter.
Reducing non-take-up is a key objective of Dienst Toeslagen, in line with recommendations from the Parlementaire Ondervragingscommissie Kinderopvangtoeslag (Parliamentary Inquiry Committee on Childcare Allowance, POK) and the ‘Werk aan Uitvoering’ (WAU) programme. By systematically mapping non-take-up, targeted measures can be developed to make the benefits system more accessible and effective.
Key findings
The monitor, based on data from 2021, shows that non-take-up occurs especially with healthcare and housing allowances. For instance, in 2021 it is estimated that:
- Nearly 600,000 people did not apply for zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance), despite being entitled to it (11.8% of eligible persons), representing more than €515 million.
- Almost 175,000 households did not apply for huurtoeslag (housing allowance) (11.0%), nearly €474 million.
- Over 100,000 households did not apply for the kindgebonden budget (child budget) (8.0%), approximately €164 million.
- For kinderopvangtoeslag (childcare allowance), non-take-up is significantly lower at 3.4% (about 14,000 households), although reliable data on the missed amounts are lacking.
Large differences between groups
The figures also reveal clear differences between groups. Non-take-up is relatively more common among the self-employed, couples without children, and people with an owner-occupied or private rental home. Households with low incomes, on the other hand, tend to make better use of their entitlements. This also applies to young people (under 29). Moreover, those who do not claim one benefit often miss out on others as well.
Future monitoring and recommendations
The monitor is designed as a structural tool to track non-take-up over time. For this purpose, it is crucial that high-quality data remains periodically available. There are also areas for improvement, such as better utilisation of data on health insurance, benefit partners, and formal childcare. Further legal and practical research is needed for this.
The monitor provides a solid foundation for developing targeted measures and assessing whether policies are effective. This will help to make the benefits system more accessible and understandable for everyone entitled to it.
Collaboration and next steps
The development of the monitor involved close cooperation with the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB), the Ministries of Finance, the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Social Affairs and Employment, Health, Welfare and Sport, and representatives of Dienst Toeslagen. In the coming years, the monitor will be further developed and updated periodically.
"The non-take-up monitor was developed to estimate the extent of non-take-up in a specific year and to provide insight into which target groups are most affected. The aim is to repeat the monitor regularly and (eventually) gain insight into trends in non-take-up." – State Secretary Palmen-Schlangen, in the Dienst Toeslagen progress letter
More information?
View the full report and the parliamentary letter in which this report was shared with the House of Representatives here (both in Dutch).
