The Dutch government has resigned following an escalating child welfare scandal in which more than 20,000 families were wrongly accused by the tax authority.

During the scandal, about 10,000 families in the Netherlands were asked to pay thousands of euros in subsidies after being wrongly accused of cheating on their children's welfare.

The decision to resign came about a month before parliament was dissolved, ahead of the March 17 general election. The cabinet of Prime Minister Mark Rutte will remain in office until another coalition is elected after the vote.

"The government was not at the right level during this issue. Mistakes were made at every level of the state and as a result it was a terrible injustice done to thousands of parents. The political responsibility for this scandal falls on the current cabinet, which has no other choice. "Apart from leaving. Things should never be allowed to go so badly again," said the head of state.

The Dutch prime minister, who has served three terms since 2010, said the government would continue to actively manage the country's coronavirus crisis. Currently, the country is in full quarantine until February 9th.

Some 26,000 parents have been wrongfully accused by the tax authorities in the Netherlands, claiming to have cheated on their children's benefits for several years, starting in 2012. Something like this has been done over the years by the accused families, forced to repay thousands of euros to end up in divorce, unemployment or bankruptcy of their economy.

20 of the families involved in this scandal have taken legal action against the relevant authorities and ministers, claiming that what they have done to them is criminal negligence, racial discrimination and violation of children's rights. 

Source: The Guardian