List of schemes and legislation

The AIO supplement is a form of income support for people of AOW pension age. You can get an AIO supplement if you live in the Netherlands but you do not get an AOW pension, or you get less than a full AOW pension, and you have little or no other income.

The AIO supplement can bring your income up to the level of the guaranteed minimum income. The guaranteed minimum income is the minimum amount of income needed for an acceptable standard of living.

We also inform clients about other possible schemes from their municipality (gemeente), or the Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst), such as special assistance (bijzondere bijstand), rent benefit and healthcare benefit.

An Anw benefit is paid under the Dutch National Survivor Benefits Act (Anw). It is a state-funded basic income. If your late partner was insured under the Anw scheme, you may qualify for an Anw benefit, but only if you have a child under the age of 18 living at home with you, or you are at least 45% incapacitated for work. Your income will also be taken into account.

A child who has lost both parents can get an orphan’s benefit.

The AOW pension is a basic state pension for people who have reached their AOW pension age. You will get an AOW pension if you have been insured under the Dutch AOW pension scheme. If you have lived or worked for a period in the Netherlands, you will probably have been insured under the AOW scheme. Your AOW pension will start on the date you reach your AOW pension age. Until the end of 2025, the AOW pension age will be at least 67.

AOW supplementary allowance

People whose AOW pension started before 2015 may be entitled to a supplementary allowance on top of their AOW pension if their partner is still under the AOW pension age and has little or no income. The supplementary allowance scheme was discontinued in 2015. If you already received a supplementary allowance before 2015, you can continue to receive it as long as you meet the qualifying conditions.

The Asbestos Victims Compensation Scheme (TAS) is meant for people who have become ill from asbestos. If you are suffering from malignant mesothelioma or asbestosis, you may be entitled to compensation under the Asbestos Victims Compensation Scheme. We advise clients on how to apply for compensation from the Institute for Asbestos Victims (IAS). We work with the IAS to implement the scheme, and pay the compensation on their behalf.

If you cross the border to live, work or study in another country, you may have to deal with social insurance in 2 countries. The Bureaus for Belgian Affairs (BBZ) and German Affairs (BDZ) are specialists in the social insurance systems of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. BBZ and BDZ give independent information and advice to cross-border commuters and employers.

We also manage the website at grensinfopunt.nl for cross-border commuters between the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. 

If you do not want to be insured because of your convictions or beliefs, and you have decided not to take out insurance for this reason, you are said to be a ‘conscientious objector’. In the Netherlands, coverage by the national insurance schemes and employee insurance schemes is compulsory. Contributions towards these schemes are deducted from your income. 

If you do not want to be covered by compulsory insurance, you will need an exemption. This means you can stop paying contributions, but you will pay more tax instead. You can apply for an exemption to the SVB.

If an employer sends an employee to work temporarily outside the Netherlands, this is called ‘international posting’. Self-employed persons can also be ‘posted’.

If you have been posted to work in another country, it is important for you to know which country's social insurance schemes will apply to you. This can affect how much AOW pension you build up, and your rights to child benefit or insurance against incapacity for work or unemployment.

If you are an employer and you post an employee to work in another country, it is important to know which country you have to pay social insurance contributions in. We can find this out for you.

Child benefit is a contribution towards the cost of bringing up a child. It stops when your child turns 18. Child benefit is paid every quarter. The amount you can receive depends on your child’s age.

As from the age of 3, child benefit can be paid at twice the basic rate for children with extensive care needs who live at home. If you have received child benefit at twice the basic rate for a full year, you can also get an extra payment of child benefit. The extra payment is a fixed amount that is paid once a year.

Child budget is an extra payment for families with children. You can get a child budget if your and your partner’s income is below a certain level. This level will depend on how many children you have. Child budget is paid by the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst). When we inform the Belastingdienst that you can get child benefit, they will assess whether you can also get a child budget. 

If a parent lives or works outside the Netherlands, it is possible that a Dutch family benefit overlaps with a family benefit from the other country. If so, we will determine how much of the Dutch family benefit we can pay. 

The bridging benefit (OBR) is a temporary income supplement. Because the AOW pension age has gone up, there may be a period when you do not have enough income. For example, if your early retirement benefit goes down or stops altogether. The bridging benefit can provide a supplement to your income.

If you or your child need care because of illness or disability, or you have care needs linked to old age, you can apply for a personal care budget (PGB). This budget will allow you to buy the care you need from a care provider. 

We will manage your personal care budget for you. The budget you get will depend on what kind of care you need. Personal care budgets can be given for long-term care (Wlz), social support (Wmo), youth support (the Youth Act) and healthcare (Zvw).

We also pay a benefit under the social assistance scheme for Dutch nationals living outside the Netherlands (RBB scheme). This is an extra income payment for people on low incomes. The scheme closed in 1996. People who started receiving assistance payments before 1996 can continue to receive them as long as they meet the necessary conditions.

The remigration benefit scheme is for people who live in the Netherlands and wish to return to their country of birth. Under this scheme, you can get a monthly payment for your living costs. This payment is called the remigration benefit. The amount of your remigration benefit depends on which country you are moving to. It also depends on whether you will be living alone or sharing a household with someone else.

If you were affected by the Second World War or the period immediately after the Second World War, or if you have a partner or parent who was affected by the war during that period, you may be entitled to a pension or benefit under the schemes for former members of the resistance and victims of war. These schemes are implemented by the SVB.

The SVB also implements the voluntary insurance scheme. This is insurance under the Dutch old-age pension scheme (AOW) or survivor benefit scheme (Anw) or both, that you can take out yourself for periods when you are/were not automatically insured under these schemes. You will have to pay a contribution every year. Voluntary insurance can be to your advantage if you leave the Netherlands or if you only start living in the Netherlands later in life.

If you need a lot of care or support on a daily basis, you may qualify for care under the Dutch Long-term Care Act (Wlz). If you are subject to compulsory insurance under the Wlz scheme, you are also subject to the scheme for basic Dutch health insurance (Zvw). That means that you must take out health insurance with a Dutch health insurance company. You will then be covered for medical costs in the Netherlands. 

We can determine whether you are subject to compulsory insurance under the Wlz scheme. This is important if you live or work outside the Netherlands. Or if you come to live or work in the Netherlands from another country.