THE HAGUE – Parents affected by the childcare benefits scandal are calling on the Dutch government to immediately suspend the March 31 deadline for compensation claims, warning that legal action may follow if no action is taken.
According to the group, the deadline is currently unworkable due to ongoing technical issues with the application portal. Many affected parents reportedly cannot access the system, making it impossible for them to complete the process before the deadline expires.
The parents argue that the situation amounts to unlawful conduct by the state, as citizens are being held to a requirement they cannot realistically fulfill due to system failures.
They also claim that repeated warnings and signals over the past months have been ignored. Letters sent to government officials and recommendations from the Parent Committee are said to have gone unanswered.
Additional concerns have been raised about parents living abroad, many of whom no longer have access to DigiD and are reportedly not being adequately reached. The group also states that tens of thousands of affected individuals have not been personally informed about the approaching deadline.
The parents are urging the cabinet and the Dutch parliament to suspend the deadline until the system is fully operational and all eligible individuals have proper access to the compensation scheme.
The issue adds to ongoing criticism of how the government has handled the aftermath of the childcare benefits scandal, which has already been described as one of the most serious administrative failures in recent Dutch history.