Dutch government outlines new support plan for informal carers

The Dutch government says it has sent a plan to the House of Representatives to strengthen support for informal carers. The 2027–2030 Caregiver Agenda combines funding for local services with proposals on work, education and housing. The government says 5.5 million people in the Netherlands care for someone else, though it does not specify how that figure was calculated. [1]

Under an existing elderly-care agreement, municipalities are to receive €25 million a year from 2027 to organise support for carers, according to the government. It also plans to set up a team with the Association of Netherlands Municipalities to help improve local services. The announcement points to overnight respite care and temporary cover for caring duties as ways to give carers a break. [1]

The government says it is developing options for possible care leave and that the social affairs minister is due to update parliament in the first half of 2027. It also says it wants employers and educational institutions to offer more flexibility, such as adjusted working hours or longer deadlines. Separately, it plans to make it easier to build homes for carers and extend the arrangement to family homes, allowing older people who do not yet need direct care to live near their children. The announcement gives no start date or eligibility rules for those housing changes. [1]