Final debt management hackathon at KPN: shared ambition to halve the number of financially vulnerable households by 2030
The final of a two-day public-private hackathon, organized by the Stichting Financieel Gezond Nederland (SFGN), took place at KPN's headquarters in Rotterdam on January 29th. During this event, participants worked on innovative and integrated data-driven solutions to more effectively address debt and payment arrears in the Netherlands. The teams presented their results to a panel of experts. KPN is a committed partner of the SFGN.
Nearly 750,000 households in the Netherlands struggle with problematic debt. This situation often leads to long-term stress, uncertainty, and health problems. Due to the lack of financial buffers, small setbacks can quickly escalate into complex situations in which people lose perspective. This calls for an approach that transcends domain boundaries.
Integrated cooperation needed
Effective debt relief requires a broad and coherent approach. Debt rarely exists in isolation; it's often linked to issues like work, health, and housing. The current fragmentation in debt management leads to societal costs of at least €8.5 billion annually, due to factors such as absenteeism and lost productivity. Marieke Snoep, member of the KPN Board of Directors and also a member of the SFGN steering committee, emphasizes the importance of this collaborative effort: “The foundation of financial health is recognizing people's good intentions. That's why I find this hackathon so powerful. The real story is key. Thinking not from assumptions, but from empathy. Looking at what helps people, what hinders them, and where technology can support rather than burden them. With this hackathon, we've made a positive contribution to this. I'm proud of that.” During the hackathon on January 28th and 29th, government agencies, implementing organizations, social partners, and various major employers and financial institutions—including KPN and Nationale-Nederlanden—pooled their knowledge and data. Multidisciplinary teams developed concrete prototypes and concepts such as data-driven early warning, a digital debt overview, and "Next Best Actions": personalized and proportionate interventions at the right time. All with respect for privacy and social security.
KPN's commitment
KPN actively identifies customers' payment problems early on and supports them with appropriate solutions, such as flexible payment plans. Furthermore, KPN provides technology, data expertise, and facilities to collaborate with public and social partners to achieve improvements in the debt relief chain, within the framework of privacy legislation and regulations.
Looking ahead
The hackathon has yielded valuable insights and concrete starting points. This will significantly contribute to the shared ambition of reducing the number of financially vulnerable households in the Netherlands by 50 percent by 2030.
