People in Dutch society provide for their own income as much as possible. Those who are unable to are given economic security through (temporary) income support and support for reintegration into work. This is given substance under the work and income system.
The system is implemented by the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), the Social Insurance Bank (SVB) and municipalities. The Labour Authority supervises the effectiveness of implementation in the work and income system. This statutory task is anchored in Section 37 of the Structure of the Implementation Organisation for Work and Income Act (SUWI Act).
The Labour Authority supervises the effectiveness of the implementation of the work and income system. With this supervision, the Labour Authority provides independent insight into the functioning of the work and income system to implementing organisations, policymakers, ministers and the House of Representatives. The perspective of citizens whose economic security may be at stake is explicitly involved and heard. Based on this, implementing bodies and policymakers can improve implementation where necessary.
Approach
System supervision of work and income focuses on opportunities to improve the effectiveness of implementation in the system: what works for whom, where are the bottlenecks and what are working mechanisms? The Labour Authority explicitly takes account of the client perspective alongside the implementation and employer perspective. Until 2020, supervision was based on risks in implementation for certain vulnerable groups. A switch is now being made to system-wide supervision to make pronouncements on developments in the work and income system. The monitor takes the form of thematic research in several areas, including:
- Income support
- Poverty and debt assistance
- Reintegration and employer services
- The job arrangement and sheltered employment
- The human touch in implementation