Debt problems in the Netherlands are rising, while only a small group of people with debts actually seek out help. What can municipalities do to make it easier to ask for help?
Municipalities in the Netherlands currently place the responsibility for seeking help when in serious debt largely on citizens themselves. But those who need this help the most are often least able to take that step. This is reflected in the statistics: the number of households in the Netherlands with debts rose to more than 747,500 in 2024, yet earlier research found that of the 1.4 million people with debts, only 193,000 were known to official debt assistance services in 2014. National government research confirms that only a small number of…