Housing Cost Supplement

Are you having trouble paying your rent or mortgage? You may be able to get a temporary housing allowance. Apply for the housing allowance at the municipality.

Arrange online

Approach

Complete the online form.

Are you not receiving benefits from the municipality of Heerlen? If so, we usually do not have enough information from you to be able to assess your application.
Deliver when you apply as well:

  • A copy of your (and your partner's) identification documents
  • proof of your income, such as a pay stub
  • an overview of your assets
  • an overview of your debts
  • your insurance policies
  • if you are divorced: your divorce information
  • supporting documents on cost items in an owner-occupied home

Description

If your income drops suddenly, you may have trouble paying your rent or mortgage. You may be able to get housing benefit. You will then receive a temporary contribution from the municipality. This makes it easier for you to pay the rent or mortgage.

Do you live in a rental property? Then only the rent counts when calculating your housing costs. For a owner-occupied home, the following count:

  • mortgage interest (repayment and consumer loans with the home as collateral do not count)
  • building insurance
  • property tax
  • owner's share of water taxes
  • sewer fee
  • a fixed amount for maintenance costs

Requirements

If you have excessive housing costs, you must find cheaper housing within 1 year. This period can be extended for a maximum of 1 year. Are you receiving AOW? Then this condition does not apply.

The Requirements for the housing allowance are:

  • You are 18 years of age or older.
  • You are registered with the municipality.
  • You are not in prison, a house of detention or a TBS clinic.
  • You cannot get (full) rent allowance.
  • Your income and assets are too low to afford the high cost of living. 

If your income suddenly drops, you may have trouble paying your rent or mortgage. The housing cost supplement is a contribution for when you suddenly have less income and receive no - or temporarily less - housing benefit.
The housing cost supplement is NOT for costs other than the cost of your rent or mortgage. Such as gas, water and electricity. You pay these costs yourself.
Even if your rent is above the rent allowance limit, you can sometimes get housing allowance.

Term

The municipality decides within 8 weeks of receiving your application. The municipality may extend this period once.

Objection and appeal

You can object to the decision on your application within 6 weeks. Do you then disagree with the decision on the objection? Then file an appeal with the court.

More information can be found under: Filing an Objection.

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