Benefits
Social benefits based on the Act "Werk en bijstand"
Students of 18 years and older, who (temporarily) stop their studies and have no income, are in principle entitled to social security benefits. Applications for such benefits must be submitted to the Social Services Department of the municipality in which one officially resides. Social security benefits cannot be given retroactively. Hence, students who terminate or suspend their studies should not wait too long before they apply for benefits, even if the chances of obtaining a job look promising. Anyone may find himself or herself in a situation in which they must apply for benefits; if they find work quickly, the application can (and must!) always be withdrawn.
Certain conditions apply to the right to benefits, which vary according to the personal circumstances of the applicant and any family. Applicants must actively seek work and co-operate with mediators: registration with the labour exchange (and sometimes job agencies) is therefore compulsory. An exception is made for students who (have to) suspend their studies because of illness; if their illness prevents them from accepting work - which is likely - the requirement of actively looking for work does not apply.
Note: students who have a job during their studies, which they terminate shortly before completing their studies, this may mean that their benefits will be curtailed because they could have at least partially earned a living if they had kept their job!
The level of benefits is dependent on one’s personal circumstances and the municipality concerned. Municipalities have some room for individual policies: by allocating supplements and deductions, they determine the exact amount of benefits. To be able to do so, municipalities are obliged to state their policies in a municipal decree, which must be available for review.
The basic level of benefits is the same everywhere: for persons of 21 years and older, there are three national basic standards. For couples, the basic level is 100% of the statutory net minimum wages, single parents are entitled to 70%, while single persons of 21 years and older receive 50%.
In addition, there are special regulations for young persons between 18 and 20 years old and school-leavers, which means that they start with a low level of benefits (often comparable to the level of study financing), which increases step by step. Depending on previous education (or lack of such), they may qualify for guaranteed jobs or job experience opportunities. As municipalities are authorized to implement their own policies in this field, detailed information must be obtained from the Social Services Department of the place of residence. In Maastricht applicants should report to the Werkplein Maastricht (only in Dutch).
Wajong
The law on Permanent disability Benefits (Wajong) is statutory for students with a disability. It is a form of Social Security and is intended for students between the of 17 – 30, who have become disabled prior to or during their studies. Wajong is considered to be a supplementary earning and thus will be supplied additional to the scholarship. The Wajong Benefits are solely intended for students who are disabled for 25% or more and it amounts to 70% of the minimum wage. The UWV evaluates the supply of the benefit. More information on Wajong can be found on the website of Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment: www.uwv.nl/wajong (only in Dutch).
