In recent years, there have been multiple 'system failures' in the domain of automated social security enforcement across welfare states. The Dutch childcare benefits scandal is an especially alarming example, among other reasons because of the scope of systemic weaknesses in the rule of law system (Rechtsstaat). As part of a broader investigation into system-level risks in the digital welfare state, Maarten Bouwmeester examines the (mal)functioning of rule of law control mechanisms in the childcare benefits scandal.