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

Your (future) place of residence falls under:

Municipality of Zaanstad

Here is some information from your municipality.

Municipality of Zaanstad: Applying for social assistance

Please note: you can only apply for bijstand (social assistance) if you live in the Netherlands and are registered with a municipality.

You can apply for social assistance from the municipality of Zaanstad if you meet the following additional conditions:

You live in the municipality of Zaanstad.
You do not yet receive an Algemene Ouderdomswet – AOW (State Pension).
Do you live with your partner or have a joint household with someone? If so, the income and savings of that person are also taken into account.
You are participating in activities offered to you by the municipality of Zaanstad to find work.
You must understand, speak, read and write Dutch to a sufficient standard. You are entitled to social welfare assistance even if your Dutch is not good enough. However, the municipality may reduce your welfare benefit if you do not do your best to learn Dutch.
Are you between 18 and 27 years old? If so, you can also apply for social assistance on the condition that, first, you actively look for work or education for 4 weeks.

To apply for benefits, take the following steps:

step 1: register at Werk.nl as a job seeker

To be eligible for social assistance, you must register with the UWV as a jobseeker. The municipality will check your registration. If you are not registered, you are not entitled to social assistance benefits.

step 2: collect the necessary evidence

A number of supporting documents are required for the application. Before you start the application, it is useful if you already have the supporting documents ready. You can upload these documents and send them digitally with the application. From the moment you have submitted the application, the municipality has eight weeks to make a decision. Note: If not all necessary supporting documents have been submitted, this period will be extended. You will then receive assistance from the day you submitted the application. Below you will find a list of supporting documents that are required and an explanation of how to add them.

step 3: submit your application digitally

You can only submit an application digitally. You log in with DigiD. An application cannot be submitted without DigiD. If you have a partner, your partner must also log in with DigiD when sending the application. You must also have a valid proof of identity such as a passport, an ID card or a residence document. A driver's license is not enough. If you have trouble submitting an application, you can contact a Social District Team for help. A number of supporting documents are required for the application. Before you start the application, it is useful if you already have the supporting documents ready. You can upload these documents and send them digitally with the application. From the moment you have submitted the application, the municipality has eight weeks to make a decision. You will then receive assistance from the day you submitted the application.Below you will find a list of supporting documents that are required and an explanation of how to add them.

step 4: invitation by the Social District Team for an intake interview

After submitting your application, you will be invited for an intake interview with the Social District Team in your area. If you are younger than 27, an interview will take place at the Youth Desk. You will be contacted within five days to make an appointment. You are required to appear at this interview.

You will find out within 8 weeks whether you will receive social assistance. You will receive social assistance from the date of the application.