A stethoscope and money notes.
Source: Pxhere
Article

Healthcare allowance to pay for your health insurance

Last updated: 25/09/2024, 11:31

If you have a low income, for example, because you have to live on benefits or student grants, you may be able to get healthcare allowance. This is a contribution from the government to pay for your health insurance.

Healthcare allowance

After you move from the asylum reception centre of the

Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA)
to the municipality, you are required to have Dutch health insurance.

After that, it is possible to apply for healthcare allowance. This is a reimbursement from the government to help pay for health insurance. You must meet the following conditions for this:

Your income must not be too high

Your income must not exceed €37,496 per year in 2024 to be entitled to healthcare allowance. If you have a partner, together your income may not exceed € 47,368 per year.

Your assets (savings) must not be too high

In 2024, you may not have more assets than €140,213 to be entitled to healthcare allowance. Usually savings are your assets. If you have a partner, together your assets may not exceed € 177,301.

You are 18 years of age or older

From the age of 18, you have your own health insurance. And you can apply for healthcare allowance. If you are turning 18 soon, get your own health insurance on time and apply for healthcare allowance right away. You will receive healthcare allowance from the month after the month in which you turn 18.

This is how to apply for an allowance

You can apply for allowances on the Dutch tax authorities' 'Mijn toeslagen' website. To do so, you need

DigiD
. Your contact person from
VluchtelingenWerk Nederland (VWN)
or social worker from another organisation can help you in applying for an allowance.

Report changes in your income immediately

If you start earning more or less, you must tell the Dutch tax authorities right away. Otherwise you may have to pay back money later. Or you may receive too little allowance while you are entitled to it.

Again, your VWN contact person or social worker can assist with this.

'Mijn toeslagen'

You can apply for allowances on the Dutch tax authorities' 'Mijn toeslagen' website. You can also report changes in your situation and income on that website. You need DigiD to do this.

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