Photo: Mehaniq/Shutterstock
The monthly amount people receive in welfare benefits is set to grow next year. This is due to the increase in the minimum wage, to which the welfare benefit is linked. However, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to maintain purchasing power. Meanwhile, the number of Dutch people on welfare benefits is still steadily increasing, with young people in particular standing out in the latest reports from Statistics Netherlands (CBS).
Welfare Benefit Amounts Increase in 2026 #
Welfare standards are adjusted twice a year based on a special social minimum wage. The exact amounts for 2026 are not yet official, but an estimate can already be made based on the rising minimum wage.
In the second half of 2025, the statutory minimum wage is €14.40 per hour; in 2026, it will rise to €14.71 per hour. This is an increase of just over 2 percent, which also carries through to the welfare benefit.
Lower standards apply to young people aged 18 to 21, the so-called youth standard. This also takes into account what parents can financially contribute.
For married or cohabiting couples aged 21 and up to the state pension age, the welfare standard was €1,955.80 net per month this year. In 2026, this will rise to €1,976.55. That is an increase of €40.75 per month. Single individuals will receive €1,397.58 per month next year, an improvement of €28.52 per month.
Pensioners on welfare will see an even slightly larger increase. Married or cohabiting couples will receive an extra €43.65 per month, while single individuals will see an additional €31.88 in their accounts.
Growth in Welfare Recipients, Especially Among Young People #
At the end of September 2025, the Netherlands had 408,000 people receiving a general welfare benefit. This is 1.2 percent more than a year earlier, and the increase is most significant among young adults. Among 18- to 27-year-olds, the number of welfare recipients increased by 5.5 percent, bringing this group to 41,000 people.
The 27 to 45 age group also shows a slight increase, while the number of welfare recipients aged 45 to the state pension age remains stable at 228,000.
This growth fits a trend that began in the second half of 2023. Before that, the number of welfare recipients had fallen for more than two years, partly due to economic recovery after the corona period. Nevertheless, the numbers are still lower than in early 2021, when the pandemic caused many additional problems in the labor market.