The short answer
Healthcare benefit is for people who meet the conditions for Dutch healthcare benefit, including the insurance requirement. A low salary alone does not establish entitlement.
Check insurance before income
Check your insurance status, age, residence status, annual income and assets. RMO cover is a different route: do not apply for ordinary healthcare benefit merely because you have started working under temporary protection.
Estimate the whole calendar year
Use the annual assessment income requested by Dienst Toeslagen, including relevant income from earlier employers and holiday allowance. Your latest monthly bank payment is not the annual figure. A partner can change the calculation. Use the official trial calculation, then update your estimate when hours, household circumstances or income change. Advance payments can be reclaimed after the final calculation.
What to do next
- Confirm that your insurance meets the benefit conditions.
- Collect your annual income estimate, partner details and asset information.
- Apply through Mijn toeslagen yourself and keep the decision; update changes promptly.
If your hours increase from 24 to 40 in July, combine the actual first-half income with a realistic second-half estimate. Multiplying only the old monthly wage by 12 can produce an overpayment.
Questions people ask
Can agency workers receive zorgtoeslag?
Employment through an agency does not itself exclude you. The insurance, income, assets and other benefit conditions still have to be met.
Is eligibility based on net salary?
No. Use the assessment income requested in the official calculation. Rent or transport deductions from net pay do not simply reduce that income.
What if my income changes every month?
Estimate the whole year using completed pay periods and expected remaining work. Revisit the estimate after a substantial change.
Does my partner count?
A benefits partner can affect the calculation. Check the official partner test; a person sharing your house is not automatically your benefits partner.
Can I receive it with RMO cover?
RMO is not ordinary Dutch basic insurance. Check the applicable RMO and benefits conditions before applying; employment alone does not switch your healthcare route.
Sources
Last verified: 4 October 2026. Sources are in Dutch or English.