March 20, 2026 
Hans Vijlbrief during the debate. Photo: Peter Hilz ANP
Social affairs minister Hans Vijlbrief has told MPs he will take more time to revise two of the most controversial measures in the new coalition’s policy agreement following criticism from MPs and unions.
The proposals involve a faster increase in the state pension age and a cut in benefit payments which will affect parental leave and which critics have dubbed a “baby fine”.
“I am in no hurry,” Vijlbrief said during a parliamentary debate. “We don’t need legislation this year … so we have more time to take decisions. At the same time, I want to sit down with unions and employers as soon as possible.”
The new government wants to increase the state pension age more directly in line with life expectancy. The state pension age currently rises by eight months for every year life expectancy increases, but the new administration had planned to make that a full year.
The cabinet also wants to cut the maximum daily wage used to calculate benefit payments by 20%. This would reduce maternity and parental leave payments for higher earners and unions say he measure could cost some women as much as €1,300 per period of leave.
Vijlbrief said the cabinet had underestimated the impact of the proposal on maternity and parental leave and that he had assumed that employers usually top up payments to full salary, which is not always the case.
He said the measure will not be withdrawn but promised an alternative that does not hit new mothers. He also admitted the cabinet misjudged the reaction to the plan to speed up increases in the pension age.
Last month the three coalition parties – D66, the VVD and the CDA – accepted a motion from the fundamentalist Christian SGP and a far-right splinter group to take a “less strict” approach to the planned changes.
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