Applying for social assistance
If you have too little money to get by, you may be entitled to social assistance (bijstand). You can apply for social assistance at your municipality or the werk.nl website, an online work platform operated by the Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen – UWV (Employee Insurance Agency).
You are entitled to social assistance if you:
are a Dutch citizen or lawfully resident in the Netherlands, and;
are aged 18 or over;
do not have enough income or funds to get by. Your (joint) income must be below the social assistance standard (in Dutch);
cannot claim any other provision or benefit;
are not in prison or in a detention house.
There are also a number of obligations when you receive social assistance (in Dutch).
This is how it works for you
Here is some information from your municipality.
Municipality of Smallingerland: Applying for social assistance
Please note. You can only apply for social assistance if you live in the Netherlands and are registered with a municipality.
You can apply for a social assistance benefit if these additional conditions are applicable to you:
· You live in the municipality of Smallingerland.
· You do not receive old-age pension yet.
· Are you living with your partner or do you run a joint household with someone else? Then the income and the savings of this person are also taken into account.
· You participate in activities offered by the municipality of Smallingerland to find work.
· You must understand, speak, read, and write Dutch sufficiently. You are entitled to social assistance, also if your Dutch is not good enough. However, the municipality can reduce your benefit if you do not make an effort to learn Dutch.
· Are you aged between 18 and 27? Then you can also apply for a benefit on the condition that you first actively start looking for work or training for a period of four weeks.
For more information, and to apply for social assistance, you can go to www.smallingerland.nl
You are informed within eight weeks whether you receive the benefit. You receive social assistance from the day of the application.
Questions about this topic?
Contact the Municipality of Smallingerland
Visiting address
Gauke Boelensstraat 2
9203RM Drachten
| Monday | 8:30 - 16:30 |
| Tuesday | 8:30 - 16:30 |
| Wednesday | 8:30 - 16:30 |
| Thursday | 8:30 - 16:30 |
| Friday | 8:30 - 16:30 |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |