How to Apply for Benefits
Below we will explain what you may be entitled to and how we can help you.
When are you entitled to benefits?
When you’re unemployed, you’re not earning any money unfortunately. When this happens, we can help you apply for social assistance benefit, so you can pay your bills and buy food. To receive a social assistance, you must meet several criteria. The main ones are:
- You are a Dutch national, or you live in the Netherlands (lawfully).
- You are 18 years or older, but younger than retirement age.
- You do not have enough money to live on.
- You are not entitled to other benefits (for example from the UWV, the Employee Insurance Agency).
How can you apply for benefits?
To apply for benefits, register as a job seeker on werk.nl. You’ll need a DigiD and an e-mail address for this.
Exeptions
If you’d like to apply for benefits, you can do so on the website werk.nl. There, you can register as a job seeker before applying for benefits. After you’ve completed a number of steps in the application process, you’ll receive a message saying that you must contact the municipality where you live. The sooner you get in touch, the better. For people who are younger than 27 years, a waiting period of four weeks applies. So, you will not receive social assistance benefit immediately. In that four-week waiting period, we will check whether you can find work or a study programme. That's what Fijnder is here for!
If there’s no suitable work or study programme available, you may be entitled to social assistance and we’ll help you finish your application.
If you have your own house, you’ll receive social assistance in the form of a loan. We call that a credit mortgage. You are entitled to a credit mortgage if you meet the following criteria:
- You are the owner of the house you live in.
- The value of the house is at least € 64,100 more than your mortgage.
- The Income Support you’ll receive in one year is more than the net minimum wage per month.
- We cannot expect you to monetise the assets tied into your home. This means that we will not expect you to sell your house or to take out another mortgage.
What happens to your application?
Two days after your registration as a job seeker on werk.nl, you may call the municipality where you live to make an appointment for an intake. This interview will be conducted by one of Fijnder’s income consultants.
Contact information Municipalities
Voormekaar Team Berkelland
Phone number: 0545 250 300
Sociaal Team Oost Gelre
Phone number: 0544 393 616
De Post Winterswijk
Phone number: 0543 543 960
Advance
Four weeks after your application, you will automatically receive an advance until Fijnder’s decided about your social assistance benefit. The advance is at least 90% of the benefit. If it is clear immediately that you are not entitled to benefits, you will not receive an advance.
You must always repay the advance. Are you entitled to benefits? Then the advance will be deducted from the first payment of your benefits.
We understand that applying for benefits and all the rules that go with it can be complicated! Do you have any questions? We are here to help!