The case is widely used in debates on automated decision-making in government: it shows how risk scoring, weak appeal routes and institutional incentives can combine to harm thousands of people.
Lessons from the Dutch childcare-benefits scandal
A parliamentary inquiry found 'unprecedented injustice' in how tax authorities treated families suspected of fraud; the cabinet resigned in January 2021.
Polity Atlas editorsPublished 10 Mar 2026 · 1 min read