Money requests from clients: how to assess them in one go.

Friday afternoon. His son’s shoes are worn through.
Your client messages: “Can I have some money?”

That afternoon you have many messages like this waiting. You send a question back: “How much do you need, and what for?”
He thinks: surely you know that?

He knows what it is for. You do not yet.

What your client experiences

It is his money. Still he has to ask for it. That does not feel fair. Especially when something cannot wait.

Every question back feels like a new hurdle to him. He messages again. Not to bother you. He wants to know whether he has been heard.

What the law asks of you

The law says nothing about the amount of living allowance. The Decree on quality requirements for guardians, protective administrators and mentors (Besluit kwaliteitseisen curatoren, beschermingsbewindvoerders en mentoren) does say how you work with your client.

1. You promote his self-reliance, where possible.
2. You record your agreements in a document. It states what you may expect from each other. You explain it orally.
3. You reply within two working days. And you can be reached by phone on at least four working days a week.
4. You update a file every week. Including your contacts with your client.
5. You separate the tasks. Do you work with more people? Then the person who gives the payment order does not pay out themselves. And does not book it themselves.

What you run into

A request without an amount, reason or date cannot be assessed. So you send a question back. Your client waits. He messages again, or he calls. That is how one request becomes three contacts.

If the request arrives on a colleague’s phone, it is not in the file. Whoever takes it over starts again.

How to assess a request in one go

1. Ask for three things in advance. How much, what for and when. Put that in the document you go through with your client.
2. Make it easy. A photo of a receipt or bill is enough. Many clients find messaging easier than email.
3. Confirm straight away that the request has arrived. And say when your client will get an answer.
4. Let the request arrive with the file. Then any colleague can assess it.
5. Explain your decision. Even if it is no. Say when it will be possible. Then your client knows where he stands.
6. Help him do it himself. A client who knows what a good request looks like gets help sooner next time. That is self-reliance too.

It can work like this

Your client messages the office number: “I want to request money.”
He immediately gets two questions back: “How much do you need?” and “What is it for?”
He answers: “€60. Shoes for my son.”
“Thank you. Your request has arrived. You will hear from us within two working days.”
On Monday his son walks to school in new shoes.

On your side the request arrived in the email. With amount, reason and file number. You assessed it in one go. Your answer went back as a message. And it is in the file.

The client is heard. The financial administrator simply works in their own email. The office earns it. So it arrives.

How does your office score? Take the free Communication Scan for financial administrators. In one minute you see where you can gain in reachability, requests and record keeping. Your result arrives straight in WhatsApp.

Prefer to see how it works first? Book a demo.

Further reading

• A complaint from a client: what the law asks of you as a financial administrator
• A good financial administrator: what the quality requirements ask of you
• Reachability rules for Dutch financial administrators
• WhatsApp and email in debt guardianship
• RippleCom for financial administrators

Frequently asked questions

How much living allowance does a client under administration get?

That is not set by law. It depends on income, fixed costs and debts. The financial administrator draws up the budget plan together with the client.

How quickly must a financial administrator respond to a money request?

Within two working days. That is set out in article 5 of the Decree on quality requirements for guardians, protective administrators and mentors. A reply is not always money straight away. The client does know where they stand.

What should a money request include?

The amount, what it is for and when it is needed. A photo of a receipt or bill helps. Then the financial administrator can assess the request in one go.

May the same employee approve and pay out a payment?

Not if the office works with more people. Then giving the payment order is separated from paying out and bookkeeping. That is set out in article 8 of the Decree on quality requirements.