Allowances are extra money you get from the government to help you pay for fixed costs, such as rent, healthcare or childcare.
The government gives allowances to people on lower incomes to help them pay for costs such as health insurance or rent. Well-known allowances include housing benefit, healthcare benefit and childcare allowance. Allowances are not granted automatically. You have to claim them instead.
Your right to an allowance depends on your income, assets and living situation. You must be registered with the municipality and have a citizen service number (BSN). If you live with another person, your partner's or housemate's income is also taken into account.
You can claim allowances from Belastingdienst by going to www.toeslagen.nl. In order to do this, you need to have a DigiD. If you do not have a DigiD, you must request this first. If you do not know how to file your tax return, you can ask Belastingdienst, your municipality or a Work in NL information point for help.
Always report changes in your income or living situation to Belastingdienst immediately to ensure you do not receive too much allowance and have to pay this back later. Keep all letters and check your bank account to make sure the allowance is paid on time.
The most important allowances are healthcare benefit, housing benefit, childcare allowance and supplementary child benefit. Healthcare benefit is for everyone with a lower income who lives in the Netherlands and has health insurance. Housing benefit is for people who pay rent and have a low income. Childcare allowance is for working parents and helps them pay for childcare. Supplementary child benefit is extra money the government provides for parents to help with the costs of bringing up children.
This depends on your income, savings and living situation. You can make a trial calculation on the Belastingdienst website. Fill in your details to see immediately whether you can get an allowance and how much you can get. If you are not sure, call Belastingdienst’s Tax Information Line on 0800 - 0543 or visit a Work in NL information point and ask for help.
You must pay this back to Belastingdienst. This might be difficult for you, but you can usually agree a payment arrangement. That is why it is important to report changes in time. It helps avoid debts and problems.
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