Mixed feelings amongst wronged families on cabinet resignation

There were mixed feelings amongst the families who have been driven to financial despair by the unjust actions of the Dutch tax office in making them repay child benefit when the Dutch cabinet resigned today.

Roger Derikx, 49, a chef from Hoofddorp, who is one of 20 families who have filed charges for criminal negligence against five leading politicians after being labelled a fraudster and made to pay back €60,000, said it was now up to the electorate: ‘Rutte has taken responsibility for the Cabinet, not for his actions,’ he said. ‘Now it is up to people to vote on March 17 against him.’

Kristie Rongen, 45, and from Lelystad, had been forced to pay back €92,000 for childcare claimed for her three children, labelled a fraudster and suffered huge financial and psychological consequences. She had mixed feelings about the resignations.

‘I am so happy [that the cabinet has resigned]. This is justice. It is right that they have resigned. The next step is that Rutte steps down and does not stand for election again – that he is standing again, that is a slap in the face for the parents. It cannot and must not happen.’

But Wendy van Hofwegen, from Amsterdam, who lost her childcare business as a result of being labelled a ‘fraudster’ by the tax office, which had wrongly claimed back some €60,000 from her, said the collective resignation achieved nothing.

‘It is just for show,’ she said. ‘I think it is appalling and unbelievable. They chase you for years if they say you are a fraudster but if you work at the government, you just resign. They have broken people and destroyed their lives, and they need to set it right.’