AOW benefits; characteristics of benefit recipients, 2006-2018

The table provides insight into the number of full and reduced benefits under the General Old Age Act (AOW). The AOW is a general, population-wide, compulsory insurance that guarantees an income to persons with the age of AOW. In the Dutch social security system, this is a national insurance. In principle, anyone who has not yet reached the age of AOW and who lives in the Netherlands is insured for the AOW. Those who do not reside in the Netherlands, but who are employed in employment in the Netherlands for which wage tax is paid, are also insured. For periods of residence abroad, one can insure against loss of entitlement to an AOW benefit. A benefit can be transferred abroad within the framework of the Restriction of Export Benefits Act (BEU). The number of benefits is broken down by a number of characteristics of the benefit recipient: — gender; — age; — marital status; — migration background; — country of residence. Up to and including the December 2013 reporting period, the aforementioned characteristics have been taken over from the Social Insurance Bank (SVB). As of January 2014, the statistics on “AOW benefits” have been included in the System of Social Statistical Files (SSB). As a result, the municipal population registers are taken as a source for the above mentioned characteristics, with the exception of the country of residence. For determining the number of foreign benefits under the country of residence characteristic, the information provided by the SVB is taken over. By introducing a new production process as of December 2018, the figures on benefits to persons with a migrant background have improved significantly. Data available from: November 2006 — December 2018. Status of the figures: The monthly figures in this table are final. Changes as of 1 July 2019: None, this table has been discontinued. When are new figures coming? No longer applicable.