In the Netherlands, a significant number of people struggling financially go unnoticed by the municipality, despite being eligible for assistance. As a consortium partner in the national research project ‘Vindplaatsen verborgen armoede’, we collaborated with several municipalities—Amsterdam, Nijmegen, Krimpenerwaard, and Almere/Lelystad—to investigate how we can reach groups living in "hidden poverty,” and offer them appropriate support.
A significant number of low-income households (around 40%) go unnoticed by the municipalities in which they reside. How can we ensure that these individuals learn about and seek access to the help they are entitled to? Within the consortium, we identified three specific target groups who are particularly vulnerable to being overlooked by municipal services. Our challenge is to work with the municipalities to determine which of these groups are most critical within their area and to design interventions, through co-creation sessions, that guide them toward the available support.
The three target groups identified were: single-person households (ages 35-64), self-employed young adults (ages 21-34), and older self-employed individuals (ages 55-68). We found that each group has specific reasons for being reluctant to seek help from the municipality. Many believe that the municipality has nothing to offer them. For each target group, we identified: - Where the municipality can locate these individuals, - What language and tone resonate with each target group, - What specific offerings can entice each group to engage with the municipality.
Through co-creation workshops with the various municipalities, we developed campaigns and pilot programs to test whether we could effectively identify these hidden groups, engage them, and direct them to the resources available to them.
Offer: City pass (Stadspas) and Energy allowance (Energietoeslag)
Target Group: Self-employed individuals (both young and older groups)
Hook: Energy Allowance
What: A campaign linking the energy allowance to the city pass, to inform those eligible for energy allowance that they may also qualify for the city pass. An email campaign was also conducted for all who had received energy allowance in the past two years, encouraging them to apply for the city pass.
Tone of Voice: Addressing entrepreneurs/self-employed people with a "grab your chance, as a smart entrepreneur..." message.
Offer: Participation Scheme (Meedoenregeling)
Target Group: Single-person households
Hook: Marktplaats (Online Marketplace)
What: A campaign on Marktplaats by the municipality of Nijmegen, promoting the municipality’s offerings (the Participation Scheme), targeting single-person households who often use the platform for bargain hunting.
Tone of Voice: Addressing target group with a "grab your chance" message.
Offer: Social Participation Scheme (€299, Meedoenregeling)
Target Group: Self-employed individuals
Hook: Self-employed individuals in Krimpenerwaard, especially those in the transport sector, who are frequently on the road.
What: A campaign at various locations within the municipality, informing self-employed people on the road about the participation scheme: ‘It's there for you too!’
Tone of Voice: "The participation scheme is also there for you as an entrepreneur."
Offer: €1,000 Accounting Voucher, in partnership with ZLF (Self-Employed Support Office Flevoland)
Target Group: Entrepreneurs / Self-employed individuals
Hook: The Self-Employed Support Office Flevoland (ZLF) provides assistance to entrepreneurs facing financial difficulties. However, many are so overwhelmed that their bookkeeping is incomplete, making it challenging to determine their eligibility for support. As a result, these entrepreneurs often fall off the radar.
What: To address this, a free accounting voucher worth up to €1,000 (and up to three vouchers per person) is offered to entrepreneurs who visit ZLF but struggle with keeping their finances in order. Selected by ZLF based on their interactions with clients, these individuals receive help in getting their bookkeeping in order. Once their finances are organized, they are, where applicable, seamlessly referred to their municipality for additional support.
