What is the cost-sharing standard like?
Do you share your home with others? This may have consequences for the amount of your social assistance benefit.
What is the cost-sharing standard?
Do you live with other people aged 27 or older? This may have consequences for your social assistance benefit. The more people over the age of 27 live in a home, the lower the benefit per person becomes. The reason for this is that if you live in a home with more adults, you can share the costs of, for example, fixed expenses.
Who does the cost-sharing standard apply to?
The cost-sharing standard applies to adults who share a home together. This is called a multi-person household. This could be a family with two parents and a number of resident children over the age of 27, a (grand)parent or resident cousin. Housemates who are not related to you also count. It also does not matter why you share a home together: the cost-sharing standard applies to all multi-person households.
When it comes to whether you are entitled to benefits, the income and assets of only you and your partner count. The income and assets of other housemates do not. When it comes to the amount of your benefits, the number of housemates does count. There are some exceptions.
These adults do not count towards the cost-sharing standard:
- Young people up to 27 years old
- Students who receive student finance
- Students who study through the work-based learning pathway (BBL)
- Co-residents aged 27 and over who are in education (Wtos)
- Room renters and boarders who are not family and pay for the room and/or board and lodging
How does the cost-sharing standard work?
The more people aged 27+ live together, the lower the benefit per person. The table below shows the overview. 100% represents the amount that two partners receive together.
| Households | Assistance standard per person | Total assistance standard if all persons receive assistance |
|---|---|---|
| One-person household | 70% | 70% |
| Two-person household | 50% | 100% |
| Three-person household | 43 1/3 % | 130% |
| Four-person household | 40% | 160% |
| Five-person household | 38% | 190% |
This means that, for example, in a household with four people aged 27+, each person entitled to social assistance benefits will receive a benefit of up to 40% of the married person standard. Although the table above stops at five people, the cost-sharing standard also applies to households with even more people.
More information?
Do you have questions about the cost-sharing standard? Are you unsure whether you fall under it? Or is someone aged 21+ coming to live with you or leaving? Then contact your income manager or call 14 079 .