Over 1,100 children whose parents were caught up in the childcare benefit scandal were taken into care between 2015 and 2020, figures from national statistics agency CBS have shown.

The affair, which saw thousands of parents falsely accused of fraud by the tax office, goes back to 2004 but registration of such data only started in 2015 with the introduction of a new youth care law.

The figures were collated at the behest of the justice ministry following MPs’ questions.

It is not clear if all the children were taken into care as a direct result of the accusations levelled at the families, many of which faced marriage break ups or lost their jobs and homes as a result of the tax office demands. More research into the cases is needed to determine this, the CBS said.

The affair led to the fall of the government as well as calls for a more humane application of the rules in the Netherlands. Victims were recently invited to have their say to the coalition party talks to make that point but many families are still waiting for compensation.

MPs have called on the government to explain the figures. ‘Behind the CBS note is an unbelievable amount of suffering,’ they said in a note to ministers.