Dutch city pilots radical debt cancellation scheme for poor families

Arnhem’s main shopping district. Some Dutch families in the city will have all their debts cancelled, and those with children will be prioritised. Photograph: Wolf-photography/Shutterstock

The Dutch city of Arnhem is going to cancel the debts of some of the poorest families in the Netherlands in an attempt to break a health-crushing downward spiral and give people a fresh start.

Earlier this month, municipal officials began knocking on doors in the Immerloo II district, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the Netherlands, offering to pay off problem debts.