The PW benefit is a benefit paid under the Participation Act (Participatiewet). It is generally referred to as social assistance (bijstandsuitkering).
You can apply for a PW benefit through your local municipality if:
- you do not have sufficient income to support yourself;
- you have no assets, or only limited assets above the permitted limit;
- you are not entitled to another benefit (for example, unemployment benefit, disability benefit or a pension).
Among other things, the municipality will assess:
- your income;
- your savings and other assets;
- your housing situation;
- whether you have a partner (your partner’s income is generally also taken into account).
Receiving a PW benefit usually comes with certain obligations, such as:
- you must look for work and apply for jobs;
- you must cooperate with programmes that help you return to the labour market;
- you must report all changes to the municipality in time.
Important!
In certain cases, the Dutch government may assess whether, if you are unable to support yourself, you are still legally residing in the Netherlands.
The right of EU citizens to reside in the Netherlands is generally linked to the fact that they:
- work as employees;
- work as self-employed persons;
- have sufficient financial resources of their own;
- or retain their worker status after becoming unemployed.
If someone comes to the Netherlands from another EU Member State, has a Dutch registered address, works little or not at all, and then applies for a PW benefit (social assistance, bijstand), the municipality may report this to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). The IND may then assess whether the person still meets the conditions for lawful residence in the Netherlands.
It is important to know that:
- applying for social assistance does not automatically mean that you must leave the Netherlands;
- the municipality does not decide on the right of residence; the IND does;
- someone who previously worked in the Netherlands and became unemployed through no fault of their own may, in certain cases, still be entitled to remain in the Netherlands and even receive social assistance;
- someone who has legally lived in the Netherlands for more than 5 years generally has a stronger, so-called permanent right of residence.
In summary:
An EU citizen may lose the right to reside in the Netherlands if they become dependent on social assistance for a prolonged period and no longer meet the residence conditions, but this first requires an individual assessment and decision by the IND.