To qualify for welfare benefits (bijstandsuitkering), you must meet at least the following requirements:

You are lawfully in the Netherlands (you have the correct documents).
You do not have enough income or assets to support yourself.
You cannot claim any other benefits.
You are not in prison.
You have a passport or identity card. See further: no passport?
You are making efforts to find work.
What is your situation?

You are homeless (you sleep outside).
You are houseless or a couch surfer (you sleep at friends’ or acquaintances’ places).
You are an EU citizen or have a temporary residence status.
Homeless
If you are homeless and sleep outside, you should apply for welfare benefits at WPI, Jan van Galenstraat 323 entrance B. This can be done on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM (not on Wednesday). When you apply for welfare benefits, it is always in combination with a postal address at Jan van Galenstraat (323 – B). After reporting to WPI, you may receive a so-called ‘7-day form’. On this form, you must fill in where you stay daily. It is very important to do this accurately. The ‘Handhaving’ (Enforcement) department of WPI will randomly check if you are present at the stated locations. If you sleep somewhere else, you must immediately inform your WPI contact person. After you visit Jan van Galenstraat (323 – B), you will be informed when the intake for welfare benefits in combination with a postal address will take place.

Houseless or Couch Surfer
If you are houseless, you should apply for welfare benefits in the district where you stay. If you sleep at various addresses, you should report to Jan van Galenstraat 323 entrance B. When you apply for welfare benefits, it is always in combination with a postal address at Jan van Galenstraat (323 – B). You may receive a so-called ‘7-day form’. On this form, you must fill in where you stay daily. It is very important to do this accurately. The ‘Handhaving’ (Enforcement) department of WPI will randomly check if you are present at the stated addresses. If you sleep somewhere else, you must immediately inform your WPI contact person. After you visit Jan van Galenstraat (323 – B), you will be informed when the intake for welfare benefits in combination with a postal address will take place.

EU Citizen or Temporary Residence Status
As an EU citizen, you may be entitled to welfare benefits in certain situations. This depends on your personal circumstances. In summary:

If you have been in the Netherlands for less than 3 months, you are not entitled to welfare benefits (unless you are working).
If you have worked for more than 1 year and became involuntarily unemployed, you are generally entitled to welfare benefits.
If you have been in the Netherlands for more than 3 months but have not worked, you can apply for welfare benefits, but an application may result in losing your right to reside in the Netherlands. The municipality is likely to report this to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND). An individual assessment of your situation will determine whether you still meet the requirements for lawful residence in the Netherlands. These requirements include having sufficient means of subsistence and health insurance.
If you have been lawfully and continuously residing in the Netherlands for more than 5 years, applying for welfare benefits usually does not affect your right to reside. Note: the IND may ask you to prove that you have lawfully resided in the Netherlands during that time (i.e., whether you have worked or had sufficient means of subsistence). For questions about your rights as an EU citizen in your personal situation, you can contact Bureau Straatjurist. See also: the Aliens Act Implementation Guidelines 2000 (B). If you have a temporary residence status, you may be entitled to welfare benefits. See here.
The Application
You need to bring:

Valid identification
Bank statements from the last three months
A written application. This records the date of your application, which is important because your benefits should start from that date. Request a receipt for your application.
WPI may request additional information. Provide this information within the requested time; otherwise, your benefits will be denied. If you cannot meet the deadline, request an extension in writing (recovery period).
Welfare Benefits and Homelessness
Previously, you were not eligible for homeless benefits if you stayed at the same address for 4 or more days per week. This is now different (article 4.7.4 Work Regulations Work, Income, and Participation). In the assessment, all circumstances of the client must be weighed in their context, based on case law from the Central Appeals Tribunal dated April 4, 2017. The mere fact that a client sleeps at one address for four or more days is not decisive.

Consider, for example, the reasons for being at that address, how long the person intends to stay there, and the main resident’s opinion. Read more here.

What Happens After Your Application?

Control by Enforcement Department
After your application, WPI will give you a 7-day form. WPI uses this to check where you are staying. If you are homeless, WPI may visit you at one of the provided addresses. If you are houseless, WPI will visit your lodging address. WPI must consider your situation. This is stated in WPI’s policy. Enforcement must make a thorough search if they do not find you immediately. See the Vondelpark ruling by the Central Appeals Tribunal dated April 22, 2014, ECLI:NL:CRVB:2014:1479.
WPI’s policy states that you must report where you will sleep the next night. WPI must make this possible, even for the upcoming night or if you unexpectedly leave a place earlier! Discuss with the WPI official how you can report unexpected changes in your sleeping location. Agree on this and have the agreement recorded in writing. See: Amsterdam District Court January 29, 2013. Regularly (at least weekly) contact WPI to inform them where you are staying and sleeping. If WPI’s enforcement cannot find you, they must call you. See Amsterdam District Court July 25, 2016, Municipality must call the homeless person.

Recovery Period
Were you unable to provide all the requested documents? Then WPI must give you the chance to do so within a reasonable time. This is called a recovery period. You can always extend a recovery period. Explain why you need more time before the deadline and request an extension. If you do not get this chance, file an objection or complaint. Seek advice from Bureau Straatjurist.
Decision
WPI must decide on your benefits within 8 weeks. If you have absolutely no money, you can request an advance under the so-called “emergency bread procedure.” See Bread Emergency Procedure. After 8 weeks with no decision, you can issue a notice of default, calling on WPI to decide within 14 days. If WPI does not do so, you are entitled to a penalty of €20 per day. Download a sample letter.
Appeal
Disagree with a decision? You have 6 weeks to file an appeal. After that, you can go to court.
No Passport?
Even without identification, the social service must speak with you. There is a special procedure to help people without valid identification. This is stated in the work regulations of Work, Participation, and Income of the City of Amsterdam. Click here for more information. If you are still not allowed in, contact us. For Amsterdam residents with a Stadspas, identification is free. See here. For foreign identification: contact your embassy/consulate.

Cost-Sharing Norm (Kostendelersnorm)
The welfare benefit is reduced if more people live in the same house. You can avoid the cost-sharing norm by signing a written rental contract with a commercial rental price. This means a price that is customary in social and economic transactions. You cannot enter into a commercial relationship with a (ex)spouse, registered partner, parent, or sibling. If in doubt about whether the price is too low for the rented space, you can always consult the rent price check. Example contract: model rental agreement SVB.

Even if you are staying temporarily, WPI can make an exception and grant you benefits without applying the cost-sharing norm. See the instruction of the State Secretary in the “Collection Letter 2015-2,” point 21. Collection Letter to Municipalities 2015-2, see point 21.

You may be able to participate in De Regenbooggroep’s ‘Onder de pannen’ project. More information? Call De Regenbooggroep at 020 – 5317600. Read more about ‘Onder de pannen’ by De Regenbooggroep.

More Information
Facilities
Nibud: Calculate your entitlement

Other Benefits
UWV