Frequently asked questions on assistance/benefit

If you receive benefits, you have a number of obligations. These are rules that you must adhere to. Of course, you also have a number of rights.

One of the obligations is that you must cooperate in research into your right to benefits. You can be invited for an interview for this. Your bank statements will be checked to see if you are still entitled to benefits.

For more information, please also visit the website of the Dutch government | What are my rights and obligations in social assistance? ?

You can only get an advance if you really have no money left to live on. Each situation is considered separately.

If the municipality has not decided whether you will receive benefits after 4 weeks, you are automatically entitled to an advance of at least 90% of the benefits. This is only possible if:

• What is certain is that you are entitled to benefits.
• You have sent all the supporting documents.

No permission required

You do not need permission to follow a:

• Evening course.
• Correspondence course or training.
• Open University education.

If you follow one of these courses, your benefits will continue. If you are offered a job, you must accept it.

Permission required

Do you want to follow a day course? Then you must ask permission from your income director.

Yes, the municipality can require you to follow a training course if this increases your chances of employment.

You will keep your benefits during your training, unless you are entitled to student finance.

Yes. Everyone with a (social assistance) benefit must apply for a job.

If you are unable to work, you do not need to apply for a job. There may be several reasons for this:

• You have been ill for a long time.

• You are a single parent:
  • Your (youngest) child is younger than 5 years old.
  • You have complete responsibility for this child.
  • The period during which you do not have to look for work is a maximum of 5 years.
  • You must use these 5 years to increase your chances of employment. To do this, you will draw up a plan together with your income manager.

• You are 60+ and you really can't find work anymore.
  • The municipality will assess your chances of employment.
  • If these chances are very small, you may not need to apply anymore.
  • The intention is that you remain active, for example by doing volunteer work.

• You are a caregiver for someone who cannot survive without your help.
  • No one else can take over that worry from you.

Do you feel that you cannot apply for and/or accept work? Report this to your income manager.

If you receive benefits, you must always accept suitable work.

This could mean:

• Work that is lower than your education (with an MBO diploma you must also accept LBO work).
• Work that pays you less than your previous job.
• Work outside your hometown or region.
• Temporary work, agency work or part-time work.

You do not have to accept the job if you are unable to perform the work due to physical or other limitations.

If you refuse work that the municipality considers suitable, you may receive a lower benefit or even no benefit at all.

You are not required to apply if:

• You are a single parent.
• Your (youngest) child is younger than 5 years old.
• You have all the care for this child.

The period that you do not have to look for work is a maximum of 5 years. You must use this time to increase your chances of finding work. For this, you make a plan together with your income manager.

Our employees will visit you at home if we have doubts about whether you have given us the correct information. We will then check whether your situation matches our data. For example, whether you live at the address provided.

There are 2 types of home visits where our employees will come to your home.

• home visit by appointment (verification visit)
• unexpected home visit (check-up visit)

Home visit by appointment

During this visit, we will make an appointment with you in advance for when our employees will come to your home.

Unexpected home visit (check-up visit)

In the event of an unexpected home visit, there are 2 options:

1. Our employees will unexpectedly appear at your door and ask permission for a home visit.
2. You come to the city hall for a conversation about your situation. In that conversation, the employee tells you that we will come to your home later that day.

Reasons for an unexpected home visit include:

• Check whether you live at the address you provided.
• Check whether you may be living together.
• Check whether you may be working (illegally) (for example, you buy and sell goods via the internet).
• You indicate that you are renting a room, but you cannot show a (good) rental agreement.

Home visit and your privacy

A home visit is a violation of your privacy. We may therefore only make a home visit if we cannot verify information in any other way.

Consent for home visit

Our employees always ask for permission to enter your home. Opening rooms and/or cabinets is also only done with your permission.

Refusing a home visit

You have the right to refuse a home visit. If you do not cooperate, you are acting in violation of your duty to cooperate. This may have consequences for your benefits.

Can you show that you have a very urgent reason why you cannot cooperate with the home visit at that time? Then there are no consequences for your benefits. The home visit will take place at another time.

The following situations are not a reason not to cooperate with a home visit:

• It's a mess in your house.
• There are other people in your house (visitors).
• You must first obtain permission from your housemates or landlord.
• You have an appointment that you need to attend.

You may refuse a home visit (without your benefits being stopped) if it is a check-up visit. During this visit, there are no indications that you have given incorrect information.

• During an (unexpected) visit, at least 2 of our employees will visit you at home.
• Employees can always prove that they are from the municipality.
• They will tell you why they are visiting you.
• They always ask your permission to enter.
• They may ask to see rooms and/or open cupboards.

Report and decision

• A report will be made of the visit.
• You may view this report once the investigation is completed.
• Based on the information from the home visit, the municipality makes a decision.
• You may receive an invitation for an interview.
• During this conversation you will be told whether your benefits will be adjusted or stopped and why.

Are you not at home when one of our employees comes by? Then you will receive an invitation to come to the Werkplein. The date and time are in the invitation.

It is also possible that you will not receive an invitation, but that an employee will visit you unexpectedly.

If we notice that you are committing or have committed fraud, you will receive a letter from us (a notification). This letter will state which fraud it concerns and what this means for you. If you wish, a municipal employee (a social investigator) can provide more information in a conversation.

Are you not guilty?

Then you can contact the social investigator or your income director. In that conversation you can tell why you think you are not guilty. This is called the right to be heard.

Do you think someone around you is committing fraud?

Then you can report it to us. For more information, see the product Fraud, report suspicions . You can also make your report anonymously.

The municipality can demand repayment from you up to 5 years after you received the benefit.

This is possible if, for example:

• Received a benefit when you were not entitled to it.
• Received too high an amount of benefits.

Is it due to a mistake by the municipality? Then a period of 2 years applies in which a refund can be requested.

The amount you have to repay can be debited from your account over a period of 20 years.

Your benefit will be transferred every month on the last working day of that month. Please note! It can sometimes take a few days before the amount is in your account. This depends on your bank.

Holiday pay

The holiday pay on your benefit is transferred separately from your benefit once a year. This happens in May of each year. You cannot receive an advance on the holiday pay. You will receive a separate overview of the holiday pay. Please note! This does not apply if you pay off debts via your benefit.

Are you paying off debts through your benefits?

If you pay off debts through your benefits, the following will change for you:

• From 1 June 2024, you will receive your holiday pay every month, instead of once a year. Do you want to keep your holiday pay aside for a holiday, for example? Then you have to arrange this yourself.

Has your debt been paid off in full? Then we will pay your holiday pay in one go in May.

Why has this changed as of June 1, 2024?

We pay off your debts every month through your benefit. The amount you then received is below the statutory minimum. The judge says that this must change. By now paying out your holiday money per month, you will receive a higher amount per month that meets the statutory minimum.

No, your benefit will not increase.

You may be eligible for a child-related budget. You usually do not need to apply for this yourself. You will be notified by the Tax Authorities. For more information: Tax Authorities | Child-related budget .

No, unfortunately we cannot do that. You must arrange payment to your landlord, gas, water, electricity supplier or health insurer yourself.

Are you having trouble with the administration of your finances? The municipality can help you. For more information: Help with finances and debts .

Resident portal

Do you receive benefits from the municipality of Zoetermeer? Then you can download your annual statement and benefit specifications in the Resident Portal. You can find the annual statement in the Resident Portal every year from February/March.

Find your annual statement in the Resident Portal

How does this work?

1. Go tobewonerportaal.zoetermeer.nl .
2. Log in with your DigiD.
3. Are you logging in for the first time? Fill in your email address and phone number in your profile.
4. You will now arrive at the homepage.
5. Click on the tile 'Annual statement and benefit specification'. You will now enter the screen where you can request your annual statement and/or benefit specification.
6. You can download the annual statement by selecting a year. In the 'Period' box, you do not fill in anything.
7. Click the 'Download' button.

Find benefit specifications in the Resident Portal

How does this work?

1. Go tobewonerportaal.zoetermeer.nl .
2. Log in with your DigiD.
3. Are you logging in for the first time? Fill in your email address and phone number in your profile.
4. Click on the 'Annual statement and benefit specification' tile.
5. You will now arrive at the screen where you can request your benefit specification. You can download the benefit specification by selecting a year and selecting a month under 'Period'.
6. Click the 'Download' button.

Need help?

The Formulierenbrigade is happy to help you. The address is Croesinckplein 24 in Zoetermeer. On weekdays there is a walk-in consultation hour between 9:00 and 12:00. For more information: www.formulierenbrigadezoetermeer.nl .

Questions?

Contact your income manager. If you do not know who your income manager is, please contact us by calling 14 079 .