PERSOONSGEBONDEN BUDGET [PERSONAL BUDGET]

You may apply for a personal budget [persoonsgebonden budget; PGB] in case you are physically or mentally challenged and in need of care, support or aids. Take home help for instance, or nursing. Or transport by taxi or scooter.

You may file your application for a PGB with your municipality or care insurer. Applications for benefits under the Dutch Social Support Act [Wet maatschappelijke ondersteuning; WMO] or Dutch Youth Protection Law [Jeugdwet] may be filed with the municipality. To do so, you must prepare a personal plan in support of your application. Next, the municipality will consider your application and verify if you are entitled to support. The municipality is obliged to decide within 6 weeks.

You will be granted a PGB as soon as the municipality decides to approve your application. The hourly rate is fixed by each individual municipality, and therefore varies. Rates depend on the type of care you receive. The amount itself is not paid out to you in person. The Dutch Social Security Bank [Sociale Verzekeringsbank; SVB] provides payment on your behalf. Moreover, if you are over 18 you are expected to pay at least €19.- by way of monthly contribution.

You may file your application for a benefit under the Dutch Healthcare Insurance Act [Zorgverzekeringswet; ZVW] with your care insurer. A PGB is available to people who need nursing or healthcare for over one year. However, if you should need care for the rest of your life, you must file a PGB-application with the Healthcare Desk [Zorgloket] pursuant to the Dutch Long-term Care Act [Wet langdurige zorg; WLZ]. This may for instance be the case if you are chronically ill. You must prepare a budget plan in support of your application, specifying the type of care you need and the costs involved. Next, the Care Desk must consult with you regarding your application before a decision is actually made.

If the Care Desk decides to approve your application you will receive a PGB budget to remunerate the care you require.

The Dutch WLZ specifies varying hourly fees for receivers of informal and formal care. In addition there is the minimum and maximum hourly fee. You are also expected to pay your own contribution to the Dutch Central Administration Office [CAK], depending on your income and assets, home and living conditions, age and the type of care received. Like before you will not receive amounts in person. The Dutch Social Insurance Bank [Sociale Verzekeringsbank; SVB] provides payment on your behalf.

It may occur however that the municipality or Care Desk decides to reject your PGB-application. In that case you will be allowed 6 weeks to file objection. If you have filed your objection in good time the municipality of Care Desk are obliged to re-assess your application and arrive at a decision regarding your objection. If you should object to the decision on objection you may appeal to the court. The ultimate remedy for you is to appeal to the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Netherlands Council of State [Afdeling bestuursrechtspraak van de Raad van State].