News item | 30-06-2025 | 15:00
The government is taking measures to improve the allowance system in the short term. For example, by extending the application period of the rental and care allowance and the child-related budget, it becomes easier for people to use allowances. About 6 million unique households receive allowances every year, but the system is too complex for many people. With the bill improvement measures allowances, the system becomes more understandable and bottlenecks are resolved.
State Secretary Palmen of Recovery and Surcharges: “Reforming the entire tax and allowance system takes time. At the same time, there are people who now suffer from problems in the current system. I want to help them as much as possible so that allowances they are meant to support people who need it where they need it.”
The measures
The application period of housing allowance, care allowance and the child -related budget will be extended to 31 December of the following year. This date is more intuitive for people than the old date of 1 September and gives people more time to request a surcharge with certainty about the income. In addition, the partner concept is adapted for people with a missing partner, a partner in detention and recognized refugees with a partner who is not registered in the Netherlands. This gives them the allowances that belong to their actual situation as a single person.
Furthermore, surcharges are no longer adjusted retroactively as a result of certain decisions of other authorities that were not foreseeable for people. At the moment interest is calculated on the difference between the surcharge advance and the final allowance. This interest on supplementary payments and recovery is abolished so that calculations become easier and people on top of a recovery do not get another amount to be paid. And finally, the default penalty is abolished. People can and may be mistaken without being imposed an absenteeism fine.
The proposed measures to improve the system in the short term have been established on the basis of signs of beneficiaries, implementation partners and social partners.