Bill for child benefit sent abroad falls 20%, most money goes to Europe
Workers in the Netherlands with children living in other countries cashed in €41m in child benefits last year, according to figures from the social insurance bank SVB.
This is well down on the 2013 total of nearly €52m, news website nu.nl says. In the Netherlands itself, the child benefit bill reached €3.2bn last year.
In 2015, child benefit was sent to 119 different countries but most by far of the money went to Europe. Poland topped the list with €16m, followed by Belgium and Germany with almost €8m. Morocco was in third place with almost €3m and the US was fourth, with almost €1m.
In Turkey and Morocco payments have been cut in line with local living standards but children living elsewhere in Europe get the same benefits as they would do in the Netherlands.
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