Social minimum, welfare or Participatiewet (Participation Act), 1 January 2025
Note: The amounts are adjusted annually in January and July. Amounts are net per month, including 5% holiday pay.
Norms 1 January 2025
Single 21 years to retirement
€ 1,278.18 excluding vacation allowance of € 67.27
Single parent
€ 1,426.02 excluding vacation allowance of € 75.05
Married/cohabiting
€ 1,825.97 excluding vacation allowance of € 96.10
- Kostendelersnorm
Concerning welfare benefits, the kostendelersnorm (co-resident rule) applies. This means that your welfare benefit is lower if more than one person live at the same address. Exceptions are:
For married couples and single individuals aged 21 or older who live with one or more persons aged 21 or older with whom costs can be shared, a lower amount applies based on the cost-sharing norm. As of January 1, 2025, the cost-sharing norm has been adjusted so that only co-residents aged 27 or older are counted as cost sharers for the benefit of housemates.
Below is a good link to clarify what the cost-sharing scheme is:
http://www.rotterdam.nl/kostendelersnorm#A5
Number of adults in a household
Two persons
Welfare norm per person: 50%
Three persons
Welfare norm per person: 43.33%
Four persons
Welfare norm per person: 40%
Five persons
Welfare norm per person: 38%
Single parent
In many cases a single parent can apply for the kindgebonden budget (supplementary child benefit).
Own funds
The own funds of people receiving welfare benefits may not exceed €7,770 for single persons, €15,540 for a single parent and married persons.
An additional exemption of up to €65,500 applies only to people who own their own homes:
1. Providing you yourself live in this home.
2. You cannot be expected to sell your home or take out an (additional) mortgage because your housing costs are approximately the same as the rent of a rental property suitable for you.
Net or gross
The WWB (Wet Werk en Bijstand, social assistance act) is the only allowance that works exclusively with net amounts. The gross annual amounts can be found on your annual statement; they are used for filling out tax papers and applying for schemes.
