Functional knowledge of Dutch a condition for welfare

THE HAGUE – Second Chamber member Cora van Nieuwenhuizen-Wijbenga has introduced a legislative proposal to pare welfare payments down to people who fail to learn the Dutch language. If it is determined that claimants lack the language proficiency their entitlement would drop to 80 percent of the going rate. By six months of inaction the rate would drop to 60 percent, with the entitlement to be withdrawn after one year if no improvement is detected. The conservative liberal VVD faction member has concluded that lack of a job often is tied to the claimant’s inability to speak the Dutch language. This handicap does not help the claimant and is bad news for the taxpayer, noted Van Nieuwenhuizen who in the recent past was part of the Brabant provincial administration. She does not care how people learn Dutch, as long as they reach the prescribed level.