The Groningen Social Assistance Benefits Experiment: Experimentopzet Participatiewet Gemeente Groningen

In the Netherlands dissatisfaction with the current scheme of social welfare has led various Dutch cities to run field experiments to test out new ways of delivering income support to its citizens. Among them is the City of Groningen where the study goes by the name ‘Bijstand op Maat’ (English: Tailored Social Assistance) and includes around 900 current recipients of public income support (also social assistance or minimum income guarantee). For the duration of the trial job search requirements and welfare sanctions tied to income support will be eliminated to make room for more autonomy (treatment 1). Other aspects include a more tailor-made approach in supporting welfare recipients (treatment 2) and increasing financial incentives to take up paid work (treatment 3). As a specific treatment (4) a randomized selected group may actually choose between the first three treatments the investigate the effect of self-selection on the outcomes. The study is set up as a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with interventions running from November 2017 to September 2019. Outcomes of interest are differences in the uptake of paid work (full time and part time), societal participation and social activation, participants’ health and well-being, participants’ satisfaction with the new scheme, as well as their financial situation.