Municipality of Aalten reviews poverty policy
Really listening, showing empathy, acting proactively and acting in the spirit rather than the letter of laws and regulations. That, in summary, is the wish of a group of 16 "poverty experience experts. They have provided the municipality of Aalten with extensive advice with suggestions to take into account in the reassessment of the poverty policy. The Municipal Executive adopted the poverty policy, adapted partly on the basis of that advice, on October 10. The municipal council will consider the proposal in November.
Alderman Joop Wikkerink: "I am pleased with the valuable input of the experience experts. They have given their report the name 'van Arm-lastig naar Arm-slag' and I am very much in agreement with that. The report contains useful tips and recommendations for improving our poverty policy and thus their own situation and that of other residents in similar situations. Those recommendations are sometimes about money, but much more often they are about personal contact and customization, about how people want to be treated, whether or not they are taken seriously and helped professionally. They also feel that the findability and understandability of the schemes could be better, so we're going to work on that too."
2025: update and improve findability
In the adjusted poverty policy, the Municipal Executive proposes to update existing schemes by 2025 and to focus (even) more on the possibilities for residents to participate. Amounts and benefits will be adjusted and it must become easier for residents to find and receive support, both from the municipality and from (referring) partners. Special attention is given to families in poverty. For children there are allowances to participate in sports and culture, for swimming lessons and for extra school expenses.
The sequel: financial livelihood security
The next step will be taken next year. On the basis of an external study (baseline measurement), it will be examined whether regulations need to be added, can be scrapped or whether regulations may need to be organized differently. In 2026 the policy will then be developed more broadly in the direction of 'subsistence security'.
Says the alderman, "In doing so, we are constantly engaging with the experience experts. They have indicated they would like to remain involved in the form of a sounding board group and we are happy to take advantage of that offer."