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The Social Support Act: the story so far

Original title: Op weg met de Wmo.

The Social Support Act (Wet maatschappelijke ondersteuning - Wmo) came into force in the Netherlands on 1 January 2007. The aim of the Act is to promote people's social and life skills and ability to participate, and to strengthen social cohesion and quality of life at local level. Local authorities were given responsibility for implementing the Act. The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport asked the Netherlands Institute for Social Research/SCP to evaluate the Act. Attention in the first evaluation period (2007-2009) focused primarily on people with impairments and disabilities and on the policy pursued for these groups by local authorities. Does the Social Support Act mean that the goals of improving social and life skills and promoting social participation are being achieved? How do local authorities implement the Act in practice? Do local authorities have the right instruments available to implement the Act? This evaluation explores the opinions and experiences of local authority officials and those involved with the Act (municipal officers, implementing bodies or client organisations), as well as those of people with an impairment or disability, including applicants for provisions funded under the Act.