Enforcement of social security laws

Dr Paulien de Winter conducts research on how social security laws are enforced. Government policy on benefit fraud has become increasingly strict in recent years. Paulien spent months looking over the shoulders of employees of municipalities, social services and the UWV work company, to find out how the rules are implemented in practice.

Paulien's research shows that employees are balancing between regulations and other interests, leading to differences in enforcement policies. Strict regulations do not necessarily lead to strict enforcement as well. According to Paulien, the law should therefore be given an important position in the drafting of new policies, giving employees more room to apply customization.

In the video below, Paulien talks about her research, recommendations and plans for follow-up research.