General assistance; benefits under WWB, 1998-2011

The table provides insight into the number of benefits granted under the Work and Assistance Act (WWB). As of 1 January 2004, the WWB replaced the General Assistance Act (Abw). The data are broken down according to the following personal and benefit characteristics: — gender; — age; — region; — living form; — benefit duration. Please note: A WWB benefit is intended for households. Although for couples, both partners are entitled to the benefit for equal parts, there is still one benefit. The results therefore do not reflect the number of people who depend on a WWB benefit, but the number of households to which the WWB benefit has been granted. Until January 2005, only the characteristics of the person considered by the municipality as an applicant were taken into account by CBS in the case of (real) couple payments. For the figures from January 2005, when granting benefits to couples, the personal characteristics of the oldest person of the couple are taken over. As of 1 January 2012, a number of laws have been amended. For example, the Law on Investing in Young People (WIJ) and the Work and Income Artists Act (WWIK) have been abolished. From 2012 onwards, young people (up to 27 years old) and artists will be covered by the WWB (Work and Assistance Act). In addition, the household income test has been introduced in the WWB. New is also the family concept of assistance. As a result of these changes, there has been a delay in the provision of data to CBS. In addition, CBS conducts quality research on the figures received. Data available from: January 1998 Status of the figures: the figures until December 2011 are final. Changes compared to the previous version: the figures for the month of December 2011 have become definitive. When are new figures coming? The table was discontinued in connection with the abolition of the Law on Investing in Young People (WIJ) as of 1 January 2012.