What are surcharges?

A supplement is financial help from the government. People with low incomes can continue to pay for important things in life with a supplement. This is arranged through My benefits of the tax authorities. These are the different types of benefits known in the Netherlands:

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• Care allowance: a contribution for health insurance.
• Rent supplement: help to pay the rent.
• Childcare allowance: an allowance for the cost of childcare.
• Child budget: a contribution to children's expenses.

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What benefits am I eligible for: make a trial calculation

To find out which of these benefits you are entitled to, you can make a test calculation calculation. Note, in some cases it is better not to use the trial calculation. For example, if you have special assets. These are assets that do not count towards the rent allowance, healthcare allowance or child budget. Examples include children's assets, compensation for pain and suffering and compensation for illness and physical injury. It is also better not to use the test calculation if you live abroad or have to deal with a special rental situation. More information about special assets and special rental situations can also be found on the page of the test calculation.

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Applying for care allowance

In the Netherlands, from the age of 18, you are required to have at least basic health insurance. Besides the healthcare premium you have to pay, you also have to deal with the so-called deductible within the basic insurance. The costs for care you need within this amount you pay yourself. Do the costs exceed this amount? Then the insurance company will pay the costs for you.

All in all, you have quite a bit of health insurance costs. If you're below a certain income threshold, the government helps keep health insurance affordable with care allowance. Do you qualify for it? Then apply for the care allowance at the Tax Administration by logging on to My Benefits with your DigiD. Read all about care allowanceincluding the current income limit, with and without an allowance partner.

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Apply for rent allowance

Do you live in a rental property, is your income below a certain limit and the amount of rent also meets the requirements? If so, you may receive an allowance to pay your rent. The exact level of your income and the amounts between which your rent costs must fall to qualify change each year. Read here the current conditions forear rent supplement eligible. You can also apply for this allowance via My Allowances, the portal of the Tax and Customs Administration.

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Apply for childcare allowance

When you have children and a job, childcare is required. Of course, you want your child to be well taken care of, and that costs money. The childcare allowance is financial support to pay for childcare costs. This requires that you both work as parents or attend an education or integration course that does not allow you to take care of your children yourself every day. Other important conditions are that the child lives with you and that the care is registered with the National Childcare Register.

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Applying for child budget

Child budget is a contribution to the costs of children up to the age of 18. If you already get any of the above benefits, you will automatically get the child budget if you meet the conditions. This in turn has to do with the level of income of you and your partner. Also, you must not have too many assets and you must already be receiving child benefit.

Tips on applying for benefits

We hope to have answered the questions "what are benefits" and "what benefits do I qualify for". Finally, we have a few tips that will come in handy when you get started applying for benefits.

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• Report changes.

If anything has changed in your situation, such as your income or living situation please report this. Your entitlement to benefits may be cancelled. If you forget, you will have to repay any benefits you have wrongly received. And that is especially annoying if you have already spent the money.

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•  Get your information from the Internal Revenue Service.

There is a lot to read about surcharges on all kinds of websites, including this one. We refer you to the website of the tax authorities. The conditions change every year and only with the Tax Office can you be sure that the information is always up to date and therefore the most reliable.

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• Apply for the benefits yourself.

Online you will find parties willing to take the task of applying for benefits or even reporting changes off your hands for a fee. That's not necessary. You can do it yourself and it will cost you nothing.

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• Applying for retroactive benefits.

If you were previously entitled to benefits without knowing it, you can still apply for those benefits retroactively. Only the childcare allowance goes back only up to 3 months.