A good news budget? Most don't believe they'll have more to spend next year

The third Mark Rutte-led Dutch government will publish its first budget on Tuesday, after the outgoing coalition brought out a holding budget last year. Despite leaked assurances that nearly everyone will have more to spend next year, over three-quarters of the population simply don’t believe it, according to a new poll by current affairs programme EenVandaag. ‘The increase in value added tax, rising rents, rising energy bills… no pay rise can keep pace with that,’ one respondent told EenVandaag. What has been leaked: 95% of the population will have an average of 1.5% more to spend People on social security benefits will see a 0.9% increase, the average rise is 1.5% The economy will grow by 2.5% in 2019 Unemployment will continue to fall The state debt will dip under 50% of GDP Brexit could cost the Netherlands 1% to 2% of GDP The budget surplus will hit €10bn, but the structural deficit will drop to 0.4% More money will be spend on education, defence, security and the infrastructure The government forecasts a monthly rise of 10% in health insurance premiums The 15% tax on dividends will be scrapped, costing an estimated €1.9bn Corporation tax will be lowered from 25% to 22.24%, rather than 21% to pay for the dividend tax cut Announced earlier and implemented in 2019 The number of tax bands will be reduced to two – almost 37% up to €68,507 and 49.5% for all income above that.