Perspectieven voor interventies in de bijstand: Experimenten Participatiewet

Which municipalities' action and intervention strategies contribute to job prospects and an improvement in people well-being and confidence in social assistance benefits? Six municipalities – Groningen, Utrecht, Tilburg, Wageningen, Deventer and Nijmegen – have conducted unique randomized controlled trials for social assistance benefits in recent years (October 1, 2017 - December 31, 2019). The following (combination of) interventions have been investigated: exemption from reintegration obligations, intensification of counselling and earnings release of extra earnings. The outflow to work as well as job search intensity, well-being, self-efficacy and trust were examined. The outflow to work for all interventions is not lower than in the current approach, while the outflow to part-time work is higher in some municipalities. In particular, tailor-made intensification and earnings release can increase outflow to (at least part-time) work. The picture is diffuse concerning the effects on job search intensity, well-being, self-efficacy and trust. We find small, and sometimes positive effects, especially for self-reliance and confidence, but the picture is not clear-cut. The small numbers of participants in the experiments make it difficult to find statistically significant effects.