Waiting times at LBIO rise amid internal crisis
Staff report heavy workloads and an unsafe working environment at the public organisation that collects and mediates maintenance payments.
Waiting times at the Landelijk Bureau Inning Onderhoudsbijdragen are increasing, while staff describe heavy workloads and a socially unsafe working environment. According to NOS, the organisation and interim director Jacobine Geel have yet to respond substantively to questions from RTL.
LBIO helps parents and former partners collect child and spousal maintenance. According to its own website, people can turn to the organisation when payments are in arrears. Following an investigation, RTL Nieuws reports that waiting times are now longer than usual and can sometimes last for weeks.
Staff say that backlogs and sickness absence are putting service provision under pressure. In an urgent letter to the Ministry of Justice and Security, they write that workloads are heavy and that colleagues feel ignored, excluded or intimidated. The letter was sent anonymously because staff say they do not feel safe attaching their names to it.
The letter also contains accusations against interim director Jacobine Geel. According to staff, the problems have worsened since her arrival. RTL also says it has recordings of staff meetings in which Geel describes the workload as very high and says the backlogs must be tackled.
The consequences mainly affect people for whom maintenance is not an administrative matter but a necessary contribution to daily expenses. If an ex-partner obliged to pay does not do so, LBIO can take over collection under certain conditions. The organisation itself states that applications can only be processed within certain time limits.
It has not been established that every individual backlog was caused directly by the internal problems. LBIO does state on its website that waiting times are longer than normal. This establishes that services are currently being delivered more slowly, but not the size of the total backlog or how many families have consequently been affected financially.
The issue raises questions about managerial responsibility for a public service with direct consequences for children and parents. The ministry has received the urgent letter. At the time of publication, LBIO and Geel had not publicly responded to the accusations, meaning that readers must for now regard the staff statements mainly as signals from within the organisation.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- LBIO collects and mediates in relation to maintenance payments.
- The organisation reports longer waiting times.
- Staff sent an urgent letter to the ministry.
- The organisation and interim director had not yet responded substantively to RTL’s questions.
Left
Arguments A public service that financially protects families must have sufficient staff and good employment conditions. Problems must not be passed on to parents and children.
Values Social security, protection of vulnerable families and workers’ rights.
Consequences Additional public funding or a temporary crisis response may be needed to clear the backlogs.
Centre
Arguments The first step is an independent investigation into operations, waiting times and the organisational culture. Targeted improvements should then follow, with clear reporting to the ministry.
Values Due care, continuity and managerial responsibility.
Consequences An investigation takes time, but can prevent measures from being based on unsubstantiated assumptions.
Right
Arguments A public organisation must demonstrably operate efficiently and be accountable. Management and oversight must intervene quickly when backlogs grow, without automatically making more money available.
Values Performance, responsibility and effective governance.
Consequences Stricter oversight or a change of leadership could provide clarity more quickly, but could also further disrupt stability.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article clearly attributes the staff accusations and does not present them as independently established facts. The description of LBIO’s role and the longer waiting times can be found in publicly available LBIO and NOS information.
- confirmed LBIO helps collect child and spousal maintenance. — This is stated on LBIO’s own website. source
- confirmed LBIO reports longer waiting times than usual. — NOS quotes LBIO’s website. source
- confirmed Staff sent an anonymous urgent letter to the ministry. — NOS describes the letter and its contents based on RTL’s investigation. source
- uncertain The accusations about the working environment have been independently established. — The sources contain staff statements, but no completed independent investigation into the current situation. source
Editor's note
The longer waiting times and the existence of the urgent letter have been publicly reported. The accusations about the working environment and management are statements by staff; LBIO and Jacobine Geel had not provided a substantive response.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „lbio alimentatie”
- AD — „lbio alimentatie”
- de Volkskrant — „lbio alimentatie”