How much benefit will I receive?

You do not determine the amount of your benefit yourself. This is done by the national government in The Hague. If you receive a benefit together with your partner, you will receive 100% of that amount. If you don't have a partner, you get 70% of that amount. The amount of this changes twice a year: on January 1 and July 1.

These things determine the amount of your benefit:

• Your age. Anyone under the age of 21 will receive a lower benefit. Until you are 21^e are your parents liable for maintenance? They have to take care of you. Is there a particular reason why this is not possible for you? Please indicate this to your contact person.
• Are you single or do you have a partner? If you receive a benefit together with your partner, you will receive a different benefit than if you do not have a partner.
• The number of people you live with at an address. If you live with more people at your address, you can often share your living costs. You will therefore receive less benefit.
• The type of housing you live in. If you stay in a care institution, where the housing costs are paid from other schemes, your benefit is also lower.

Having or not having children does not affect the amount of your social assistance benefit. You can request the extra financial support that you may need from the Tax Authorities and the SVB. These are, for example, child benefit and child budget.

Calculate the amount of your benefit >

Do you live with one or more adults at the same address? Then we'll adjust your benefit amount accordingly. This is called the cost-sharing standard. The more adults living at one address, the lower the benefit per person. This is because if you live in a house with more than one adult, you can share the housing costs (rent, utilities, and water).

The cost-sharing standard does not affect:

• or if you are family
• whether you are married
• why you live together.

Examples of when the cost-sharing standard applies:

• Two or more adults live together in one home.
• Parents with an adult child still living at home.
• You live with your grandfather, grandmother, brother, sister, cousin or niece.
• Your adult child's partner lives with you.
• You are under 27 and receive social assistance benefits. You live with housemates who are 27 or older.

These adults do not count towards the cost-sharing standard:

• Young people up to 27 years old
• Students who are entitled to student finance or WTOS.
• Room renters and boarders who pay a normal (commercial) rent. Or their landlords or boarders if they themselves receive benefits.
• When someone lives with you temporarily to care for you, or because you need care yourself. This is called informal care.

Income and assets of housemates

• The income and assets of your housemates do not count.
• Are you married or living with your partner? Then your partner's income and assets are included.

The table below shows the benefit amounts for different numbers of co-sharers. The first column shows the number of people living in your home. The second column shows the percentage of the benefit each person in the home receives. And the last column shows the total percentage for everyone combined.

An example:

• The benefit for married couples is €1,300 per month. Do you live alone? Then you receive 70% of this amount, which is €910 per month.
• If four single people live at one address, each person receives 40% of the €1,300. That's €520 per person.
• Together they will then receive €2,080, which is equal to 160% of the benefit for married persons.

If this example doesn't help you determine what this means in your situation, please contact your legal advisor.