ABSTRACT
The Netherlands municipalities play a major role in ensuring the well-being of their citizens and, particularly in the larger cities, have their own contacts with members of Parliament. National legislation governs Social Assistance but the schemes are implemented by municipalities. Local authority expenditure is monitored and audited first by municipality accountants, secondly by accountants in the Department of Social Affairs and finally by the ‘Algemene Rekenkamer’ on behalf of Parliament. Eligibility for Social Assistance is reviewed, on average, every 8 months. The main elements of Social Assistance in the Netherlands are governed by national regulations and nationally set scale rates, ensuring equality of treatment across local municipalities. Equality before the law is seen as a major strength of Dutch Social Assistance. Although the main element of Social Assistance remains at a nationally fixed level under the new scheme, increased local discretionary powers could potentially lead to increased differences in total payment levels between municipalities.
