Relocation expenses allowance for medical reasons: the rules in 2025

In the Netherlands, a huge number of removals are carried out. You might not expect it from a small country like the Netherlands, but it really is. To give you an idea.. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), a total of 1.79 million people will have moved in the Netherlands in 2021!

Of these, the majority of 0.99 million moved to another home within the current municipality in which they lived. The figures have not decreased in 2022 either. For example, in October 2022 alone, 147 thousand people moved! In one month. That is even a lot more than in the same month a lot earlier.

What is relocation allowance WMO – Social Support Act

It budget What the municipality has available to make a purchase or rental home available for renovation is called the 'Social Support Act (WMO). The municipality receives a specific budget to spend for this. Based on this law, you can qualify for this special relocation allowance.

It varies per municipality how they organize this support, but most municipalities in the Netherlands have a WMO desk. Some municipalities also opt for a social counter and/or special neighborhood teams where people can go with their questions. So you should always first do the moving costs apply through the municipality.

Am I entitled to a Wmo relocation allowance?

A move is often fun because hey, you're finally moving to your new home! However? Unfortunately this is not always the case. It is still common for people to be forced to move. For example, you can think of people who are forced to leave a home for medical reasons.

For example, you can think of a disabled elderly person who lives on the 2nd floor and who can no longer walk stairs. Sometimes a stairlift can be installed, but sometimes not. You can probably imagine that the older person has to live on the ground floor. In this case, a forced move is therefore necessary.

Government assistance

Are you moving soon and have you not counted on this at all? Or are you forced to move and have you not counted on this financially at all? Then in the Netherlands you can in some cases receive a financial contribution from the government. This is often a minimal fee, but every little bit helps, right?

Special wellfare

When you are in the Netherlands will move and your income is below a certain limit, you can receive special assistance from the municipality from which you are moving. You will not only receive special assistance when moving, but you may be entitled to it if you have to pay extra and/or special costs and cannot pay these additional costs yourself. You can therefore request financial compensation for costs that are necessary.

What are you entitled to?

The amount of your special assistance depends entirely on your income, assets and, of course, on the amount of the move and/or renovation. The municipality will check your application together with the landlord to determine whether you are entitled to special assistance and how much this is.

Dutch municipalities

In the Netherlands, it is initially arranged that everyone should be able to continue living in their current home. For example, do medical emergencies need a wheelchair-accessible home? Then it should be possible to continue living at home. This can be done, for example, through renovations and renovations to the home.

Your personal situation

Due to circumstances you can no longer stay in your current home and you need a new home as soon as possible. A home that is suitable for your personal situation. Unfortunately, in many cases people do not have the means to arrange this and when this happens it is important to see if getting a relocation allowance is possible.

What is the municipality looking at?

The municipality will always evaluate the situation first. We always first check whether adjustments can be made to your current home. If this is possible, they will of course always make adjustments first. You can think of a stair lift, for example. Can't make adjustments? Only then will your entitlement to a relocation allowance be considered.

Urgency on homes with relocation allowance

If your application for the allowance for your move is approved by the municipality, you can also receive priority for housing with a special label in addition to the financial allowance. These are homes that are specially reserved for, as the name suggests, urgent situations. You will of course be given priority in this case, but please note that after approval of your application for the relocation allowance, you are not automatically entitled to medical emergency. This must be requested separately.

The ranking order for urgent housing

As you have read before, you can get priority over a home. This is of course not just and does not happen without reason. The order of urgency is:

• Medical emergencies
• WMO indication
• over 65s

65+ and an independent home

With a moving allowance, you will therefore be allocated a home that is suitable for senior citizens, downstairs or wheelchair-accessible more quickly. However, it is important that you move to an independent home. When you move to a sheltered housing or nursing home, you will not be entitled to an arrangement.

You cannot refuse a home

In the case of an urgency, a home may not be refused. Do you still want to refuse a home? Then you should contact the municipality, because a refusal can have consequences for your urgency.

The conditions

You are eligible for a WMO allowance if you meet the following conditions:

• You have long-term medical problems and it is therefore medically necessary to move out of your current home.
• You did not have the problems you have now when you accepted the current home and these problems must of course be demonstrable.
• You live on your own and move back to your own home.
• You are moving within the Netherlands.
• You have not yet canceled your rent or have not yet sold your home.

The municipality therefore ultimately decides whether you are entitled to this.

How can you apply for a WMO relocation allowance?

Would you like to apply for a relocation allowance? Then you can easily request this from the municipality in your current place of residence. It does not matter whether you move within the current municipality or to another municipality. For more information, we would like to refer you to the website of the municipality in which you live. You can also always visit the WMO counter in the town hall.

Amount of relocation allowance Wmo

According to the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, 1,220,820 Dutch people will have made use of the WMO relocation allowance in 2021. The relocation allowance for independent homes, caravans and pitches amounted to €6505. If you move after February 28, 2023, this is €7156.

How can I calculate the moving costs?

Are you forced to cancel the rent of your current home for medical reasons? Do you have to plan a move because of this? Then Moving can help you find an affordable moving service.

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