Health insurance is expensive, especially if you have a low income. The tax authorities (Belastingdienst) can help you to pay some of your healthcare costs.
You can apply for a healthcare benefit, this is called ‘zorgtoeslag’. If your income is low, you will receive an amount of money each month that contributes to your healthcare costs.
Most of the times VWN applies for the zorgtoeslag for you. You can receive zorgtoeslag if you’re:
⇒ 18 years or older
⇒ have a Dutch health insurance
⇒ have a residence permit
⇒ have a low income
Maximum income and savings
Zorgtoeslag is for people with low income. The maximum income depends on your household situation:
⇒ single person: max. € 29.562,- per year (2019)
⇒ partners officially living together: joint income max. €37.885,- per year (2019)
Moreover, your savings and investments must be below:
⇒ €114.776 for individuals (2019)
⇒ €145.136 for partners (2019)
How much Zorgtoeslag will I receive?
The amount of money you will receive each month depends on your income per calendar year. If your income is higher, the amount of money you will receive will be lower.
⇒ You can calculate the amount of zorgtoeslag through this website if the tax service
⇒ This website shows a table that helps you estimate the amount of zorgtoeslag
How to Apply and Change
Usually, VWN applies for zorgtoeslag for you. If you receive zorgtoeslag and your situation (income or your household composition) changes, you have to inform the tax authorities. If you do not inform the tax authorities, you may receive more benefit than you are supposed to get. And then you may have to pay back a lot of money.
To apply for zorgtoeslag or to submit changes, go to the website ‘Mijn toeslagen’ and log on with DigiD.
You can apply for zorgtoeslag for the current year at any moment. If you want to receive zorgtoeslag for the past year, you should apply before 1 September. You can, for example, apply for a benefit for 2018 until 1 September 2019
Note:
If VWN applies or changes the toeslag for you, the execution usually goes faster.