What is the Social Support Act (Wmo)
Do you need assistance with your daily activities due to illness, a disability or age? Such as housecleaning or transportation? Or do you need other assistance, such as a wheelchair or a stair lift? The municipality can help you through the Wmo (Social Support Act).
Do you need assistance with your daily activities? Ask your family, neighbours or friends for help. Do you need additional help? Apply for support through the Wmo (Social Support Act). The municipality will look together with you at what kind of assistance best meets your needs. To do this the municipality will first have an interview with you. During the interview you will discuss the following:
- your personal situation
- what you have already done yourself to solve the problem
- other things you can still do yourself
- what people around you can do for you
Often solutions are close at hand. Usually family, friends, acquaintances and neighbours can provide the assistance which is needed. But the municipality can also refer you to a neighbourhood centre or an organisation where everybody is welcome. And sometimes you can buy or borrow something yourself which will make your daily life easier. Are you really not able to solve your problems in this way? Then the municipality will look to see whether support is needed through the Wmo (Wet maatschappelijke ondersteuning).
When providing support through the Wmo the municipality keeps an eye on the costs. This means that it cannot solve every problem. You unfortunately have to accept certain problems or limitations. No matter how unpleasant this is. But the municipality will help you so that you are able to cope as best as possible with your daily activities. With support and care which are truly needed.
For certain kinds of help you need to apply for Wmo support. When you apply for Wmo support, the municipality is obliged to take a good look at your situation. By law the municipality must provide support through the Wmo when there is no other solution possible. What the law in fact is saying is: ‘No support through the Wmo, unless …’.
You can arrange many types of assistance yourself, or together with family, friends or neighbours. You can also buy aids or devices yourself. Or check whether the assistance is covered by your health insurance. You do not need the municipality for this. Are you unable to arrange assistance yourself? Then you can ask the municipality to help.
You can arrange the following types of assistance yourself. You pay the costs yourself.
- Small modifications to your home, for example an elevated toilet.
- Simple disability aids, such as a walker or grab bars.
- Burenhulp(External link), if you can use help or are looking for companionship. Or if you actually would like to do something for others.
- Den Haag Mantelzorg(External link). Does somebody want to be your caregiver? Then there is help and support.
- Transportation. Would you like to get out? Or do you need to go somewhere? Then there are different possibilities.
- Find a buddy. A buddy is a volunteer who helps you out once in a while or has a chat with you.
- Meal assistance. If you do not want to make your meals yourself, there are still different ways of getting a warm meal.
- Help doing food shopping. When you cannot do your shopping yourself.
- Overnight accommodation. Arrange overnight accommodation if your caregiver is temporarily unavailable.
- Help with administration and money matters. Support in organising paperwork and bills. And your debts.
You also arrange the following types of assistance yourself. It is possible that your health insurance covers the costs. Ask your health insurance provider for more information.
- Personal care. Do you need help with your grooming and dressing routine? For example, help putting on support stockings, taking medication or feeding yourself? Contact your health insurance provider.
- Do you live independently and do you want to be able to get help quickly in case of an emergency? Then you can use a personal alarm. This is a small portable transmitter which you can wear around your neck or wrist. Do you need a personal alarm for medical reasons? Contact your health insurance provider. More information can be found on the website of the Dutch government(External link) (in Dutch).
Are you looking for activities, support or care in your neighbourhood? Look at the Sociale Kaart(External link).
You can arrange the following types of assistance together with the municipality:
- Help in the household. For tidying and cleaning your home.
- Large modifications to your home. For example, a stair lift.
- Big disability aids. Such as a mobility scooter.
- AV 070.
- Individual support. Somebody will help you in situations or matters which are difficult for you.
- Day activity programme. To give you something useful to do with your days. Or to practice working.
- Overnight accommodation. Is your caregiver temporarily not available? The municipality can help you find a place to spend the night.
- Sheltered housing. This means living in a care facility. Or assisted living with a care service.
- Homeless shelter. The Homeless Help Desk (Daklozenloket) provides information and advice to people who are homeless. And to family and acquaintances.
- Help and advice for domestic violence and child abuse. Veilig Thuis Haaglanden is the main advice and reporting centre for domestic violence and child abuse.
- Help with administration and money matters. Do you have debts or are you behind in making your payments? And are you unable to manage? See if you can apply for debt assistance.
Apply for Wmo support
Do you want to ask the municipality for assistance with your daily activities? Apply for Wmo support.
Have you applied for Wmo support? Then the municipality will assess your application. It will look at:
Do you know that you will need help in the future? Then the municipality expects you to already keep this in mind now. For example by looking for another home on time. Or by saving towards modifications in your home. But also arranging assistance on time after an operation.
The municipality looks at:
- what you have done yourself in terms of a solution
- which of your own resources you have used
The municipality will always ask you what kind of solution you want. Unfortunately it will not always be able to take this into account. The solution must be viable. And it must be affordable.
Do you have limitations? But are you able to participate in daily life in the city without assistance from the municipality? Then the municipality does not have to solve everything. It does not have a compensation obligation if somebody is still able to participate.
Do you have enough money to pay for a solution? The municipality will take this into account. Of course it will help arrange a solution.
Is there more than 1 type of support which can provide a solution? The municipality will choose the cheapest solution.
Do you receive assistance through the Wmo? Then you sometimes need to pay yourself. This is called the personal contribution (eigen bijdrage). The personal contribution is no more than € 19 per month (rate for 2023). You pay this personal contribution for:
- help in the household
- disability aids
modifications to your home
- AV 070 (you pay € 28 per year for this in 2023)
- sheltered housing (the personal contribution for this depends on your income)
- certain general types of support
Read more about the personal contribution for healthcare costs.
The municipality will look at your request for help and will choose the best solution for your situation. Staff members will use the ‘Leidraad Wmo’ for this. You can find a summary of these guidelines below.