Applying for special social assistance
If you have a low income and it is impossible for you to pay exceptional and unexpected costs, you may be entitled to extra financial support from the municipality. This is called special social assistance (bijzondere bijstand).
Special social assistance is subject to the following conditions among others:
- you are lawfully living and staying in the Netherlands.
- you do not have enough income and funds to pay the costs yourself.
- you are at least 18 years old.
- you have expenses due to an exceptional or urgent situation, such as surgery or moving house.
- you cannot cover the costs in any other way.
Your municipality can tell you what other conditions apply in your situation.
If you have any questions about your situation, contact your municipality.
You can also contact the Sociaal Raadslieden (social counsellors) in your municipality. They provide free information and advice on legal problems. If there are none in your municipality find Sociaal Raadslieden closest to you (in Dutch) on the Sociaal Werk Nederland website.
You can also get free legal advice in English from Het Juridisch Loket (Legal Services Counter) (link in Dutch). Het Juridisch Loket provides clients with advice and information on all areas of law. All consultations are confidential and free of charge.
This is how it works in your (future) place of residence
Municipality of Epe: Applying for special social assistance
Please note: you can apply for special social assistance benefit (bijzondere bijstand) only if you live in the Netherlands and are registered with a municipality.
You can apply for special social assistance benefit from the municipality if:
- you live in the municipality of Epe;
- the unexpected costs you would like reimbursed were incurred in the Netherlands.
[Option 1]
Get in touch with
Gemeente Apeldoorn via Bijzondere bijstand | Gemeente Apeldoorn
[Option 2]
Telephone the municipality
Gemeente Epe
Postbus 600
8160 AP Epe
Phone 14 0578
[Option 3]
Online form
Print the online form and fill it in. Send it to gemeente@epe.nl. You must also send the following documents:
- a copy of a valid form of identification;
- proof of your income;
- the most recent statements from all your current and savings accounts;
- proof of assets and/or debts;
- a quotation or invoice of the costs for which you are requesting special social assistance benefit.
The municipality will send you a letter within 8 weeks. It will state whether you will receive special social assistance benefit and how much you will receive. It will also state whether you will receive this benefit in the form of a loan or as a non-repayable allowance.
Contact details are not yet available for your municipality.