An increasing number of people are getting into financial difficulty because they have to repay top-up housing, childcare and healthcare benefits after earning too much to qualify, broadcaster NOS reported on Friday.

The benefits are paid in advance, based on claimants’ previous salaries, but if their income turns out to be higher than expected, the money has to be refunded.

Benefits such as housing benefit, help with paying for health insurance and the cost of childcare are income related and the tax office is urging people to check their income more often to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Last year, the national benefits service demanded repayment of 658,000 wrongly awarded benefits, NOS said. The broadcaster based its report on information from the tax office and national statistics agency CBS.

The number of households claiming top-up benefits long term has almost tripled since the coronavirus pandemic.

Seven political parties are calling for an overhaul of the benefits system, which officials and politicians describe as overly complicated and confusing while others want to merge different benefits to simplify the system.