From: "Tim Bomgardner" <bomgard@moose.cs.indiana.edu>
Subject: The generosity of European welfare
Organization: Indiana University, Bloomington
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 19:22:48 -0500

As promised, here is the report from my wife about the state of welfare
(pun intended) in Europe, and The Netherlands in particular.  She's a Dutch
citizen who has been living in US for about three years.  Before coming
here, she was a case worker in the Dutch equivalent of our unemployment
office.  In her opinion, US welfare is much more generous than European
wlefare, not because of the dollar amounts involved (although in some 
states like California the amounts are staggering), but because of what
you have to do (or don't have to do) to get it.

In the Dutch system (and other European countries as well, but the details
vary) you can collect unemployment insurance for up to five years at up to
70% of your previous salary.  After that, if you're still unemployed, you 
go on welfare, which includes subsidized housing and direct cash payments 
of about $1000/month for a married (or unmarried, it doesn't matter) 
couple, depending on factors such as age.  

That's the good news (depending on how you look at it).  Now for the bad
news (again, depending on how you look at it).

Subsidized housing is available to everyone, of course, and is keyed to
housing costs not exceeding 20 percent of your gross income.  But there is 
a waiting list, and minorities and foreigners (e.g., Turks) have higher 
priority.

Only after you've held a job are you eligible for unemployment, once you
register at the government job placement bureau.  While we have case
workers, the Dutch have what are best described as "welfare police" who
are very agressive in keeping track of your progress.  They will 
periodically come by your home and you will have to explain to their 
satisfaction what you've been doing with your time.  They have the power
to have a warrant issued for your arrest.  It's an understatement
to say that you're expected to be actively looking for employment.  You
have to document where you've looked, what letters you've written, etc.,
and everything is subject to welfare police review.

After a certain amount of time (a couple years, usually) the government 
WILL place you in a job training program based on the currently available 
jobs, and regardless of any education or training you have had.  "But I'm 
a bank loan officer!"  "Not anymore.  Now you're a ship welder."  (This is
an extreme case, and my wife says it is actually more likely to happen in
Sweden than the Netherlands.)  All unemployment coverage is terminated at 
that point if you refuse to participate.  Once re-training is complete, 
you can be required to relocate yourself (and your family) anywhere within 
the country.  "But I HATE big cities!"  "Too bad.  You live in Rotterdam 
now".  Unemployment is terminated if you refuse to go.  Very few ever do,
because (as my wife puts it) the bureaucracy can and will make your life
miserable.

One other thing: being disabled is not considered a valid reason to not
be looking for work.  The government will determine the extend to which
you are disabled, and tell you what kind of work you have to look for.

As you can see, "generous" is in the eye of the beholder.

Xref: sparky alt.politics.libertarian:615 alt.society.anarchy:376