Rethinking Welfare: Recognising Contributions and Reducing Stigma

This blog post is based on an article published in Social Policy and Society by Amber Vellinga-Dings, Nardi Steverink, Başak Bilecen, and Melissa Sebrechts.

“Now I’m going to be one of those lazy welfare recipients – how did this happen?” That thought ran through the mind of a single mother of three young children when she had to apply for social assistance (Bijstand in Dutch). She had always worked hard and was raised with the belief that you earn your own living. Like many people, she carried a negative image of those on welfare.

Then life unravelled. Her relationship ended. Her youngest son was born with a genetic brain disorder. She lost her job in a fire. Around the same time, she was caught up in the Dutch childcare benefits scandal and was told she had to repay large sums of money. Unemployed and facing mounting debts, she was left with no option but to apply for social assistance herself.

That step felt deeply painful, heavy with shame and stigma. Feelings many people recognise – and that often linger long after the application is submitted. A sense of falling short. Of having failed. Or even of being a failure.

Experiences of Welfare Stigma

Over the past few years, we have been researching the stigma that people on social assistance experience – and how they try to cope with it. In a society strongly shaped by meritocratic beliefs, where success is seen mainly as the result of hard work and personal effort, people who rely on social assistance are quick to receive a negative label. Recent activation policies, with their strong emphasis on ‘personal responsibility’ and ‘self-reliance,’ have only reinforced this image.

As a result, people in need of support are often portrayed as lacking responsibility, motivation, or effort. Popular TV programmes, often criticised as ‘poverty porn’, play a role here too. While they offer only a narrow and often one-sided view of reality, they strongly influence how people think about welfare recipients. What gets lost is the complexity of life on welfare – and the diversity of the people who depend on it.

These simplified stereotypes are not harmless. For people who rely on social assistance for longer periods, stigma is associated with poorer perceived health, increased stress and shame, and a loss of self-esteem. Over time, many begin to internalise these judgments: the negative image they encounter in society becomes something they start to believe about themselves. Once external judgment turns into internal conviction, self-esteem gradually erodes.

Resilience Despite Hardship

In the in-depth interviews we conducted with 29 long-term social assistance recipients, stigma emerged as a central theme. People encountered it in political debates, media portrayals, and institutional interactions – but also in their personal lives. One middle-aged man shared that even his brother had come to see him as “someone who holds out his hand.” Another lost a friendship once his welfare status became known.

At the same time, these conversations also revealed resilience. After years of struggling – not only with stigma, but with illness, loss, and other setbacks – many participants came to realise that relying on welfare was not a personal failure. Health problems, policy limitations, and caring responsibilities played a major role. They recognised that health problems limited their ability to work, that the system itself has clear shortcomings, and that they were contributing in other meaningful ways, such as through intensive caregiving or raising children.

Realising that they were not ‘lazy welfare recipients’ or ‘good-for-nothings,’ but people who were ill, caring for others, or contributing in different ways, had a powerful effect. It helped restore their self-image and made daily life a little more bearable.

Recognising Contributions: Small Steps to Combat Welfare Stigma

It’s crucial that people on welfare receive support in recognising and valuing the roles they do fulfil. Doing so can ease – or even prevent – the often lonely, long-term struggle with the stigma of being labelled a ‘benefit recipient.’

This doesn’t require complex interventions. Small, accessible changes can already make a difference. For example, during the intake interview after a welfare application, job coaches could explicitly acknowledge the meaningful roles someone plays – as a parent, volunteer, informal caregiver, neighbour, or family member. Social workers can do the same during home visits or regular support meetings.

Even a simple statement can have real impact. Saying, “Your illness currently demands so much from you that paid work isn’t feasible – and that’s okay,” can be deeply affirming. The word illness might just as well be replaced with study, recovery, informal care, or another situation that shapes someone’s life. What matters is the recognition that contribution takes many forms – and that these forms deserve to be seen.

Dutch Policy Reform

As Tim S’ Jongers notes in his book Poverty Explained to People with Money, much responsibility for poverty lies with the ‘button-pushers’ – policymakers and administrators – rather than with individuals. The same goes for social assistance recipients: their situation is shaped by the systems they rely on, not just by personal choices. Recognising this is key to reducing stigma and improving well-being.

Recent legislation in the Netherlands, such as the Participation Act in Balance, which is being phased in this year, takes a step forward. It gives professionals more flexibility to provide tailored support and shifts the focus from ‘quid pro quo’ to ‘social participation,’ acknowledging the many ways people contribute to society. Although it remains to be seen how successfully this policy will be implemented, it will hopefully foster greater appreciation of social assistance recipients – not only from policymakers and implementers, but from society at large and from the recipients themselves.

This blog post is a translated and adapted version of an article originally published on socialevraagstukken.nl.

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Reference

Vellinga-Dings, Amber, Nardi Steverink, Başak Bilecen, and Melissa Sebrechts. 2026. “Responses to Welfare Stigma in the Netherlands: The Importance of Developing a Non-Stigmatised Identity.” Social Policy and Society: 1–15. doi: 10.1017/S1474746425101280.

About the Authors

Amber Vellinga-Dings is a PhD candidate in Sociology, University of Groningen, Netherlands.

Nardi Steverink is a Professor in Sociology, University of Groningen, Netherlands.

Başak Bilecen is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Rosalind Franklin Fellow, University of Groningen, Netherlands.

Melissa Sebrechts is an Assistant Professor, University of Humanistic Studies, Utrecht, Netherlands.