“Access to support must be better for people living in poverty” | local

According to the Center for Federal Support, people living in poverty find it increasingly difficult to access their rights. He points to digitalization and the “increasing conditionality” of rights.

In this way, many people lose the support to which they are entitled (“non-acceptance”). According to estimates, 45% of claimants do not receive a living wage. The Income Guarantee for Older People (IGO) is 50 percent, the Increased Allowance (VT) is 45 percent for people of working age and 24 percent for people over 65 years of age. Up to 78 to 94 per cent of eligible working-age people will lose heating allowance, and for people over 65, these proportions fall to 67 to 88 per cent.

The Anti-Poverty Support Center says it is therefore calling for efforts to “ensure effective access to financial support and services.” “This can be done by intensifying the struggle against lack of access to rights and, among other things, by providing a plan at every level of government.”

In addition, it recommends, among other things, a systematic assessment of the actual impact of government measures on poverty. “It should actually be possible to reach people in precarious situations with support measures,” says coordinator Henk van Houttegem.