What does the local government do for you?
The Wmo (Social Support Act) was signed into law in 2015. This law ensures that you receive support from your local government. The law is designed so that people can remain living at home for a longer time and be part of the society. When you need care because of a limitation or a long-term illness, you’d probably prefer to receive this care at home. Thanks to this law, people with a limitation, the elderly and the chronically ill can live at home for as long as possible. The Social Support Act (Wmo), the Long-Term Care Act (WLZ), the Youth Act and the Healthcare Insurance Act (ZVW) are the four laws that form the basis of the Dutch healthcare system. This article is all about the question “What exactly does the Wmo take care of?”
What types of Wmo services are there?
The local government offers various services from within the Wmo. These services fall into three categories: standard services, customized services and transport services.
Standard provisions
Standard provisions are services the municipality makes available to people who need them, for example:
A shopping service
A hot meal delivery
Shelters in the community and hot lines for help, for instance in the case of domestic violence
Organizing activities, for example in a community center or a local meeting place.
Customized provisions
Customized provisions consist of forms of assistance that are tailored to the living situation and health of the individual, such as:
Personal guidance
Domestic help
An extension or adjustments to the house, for instance a stairlift
Provisions for toilet and bathroom
Daily activities
Personal medical alert system
Transport services
A transport service can be provided so that the individual will be able to move independently again and take part in society once again. Including:
WMO-transportation by regional taxi or wheelchair taxi
Car adjustment
Mobility scooter
Wheelchair
A car on loan
Compensation for transportation
Other matters that are not directly connected to the transport services will qualify, such as:
Reimbursement for certain insurances and maintenance
Medical support during transportation
Charging costs for an electric vehicle
A parking facility
Disabled person parking permit
When do I qualify for a Wmo (Social Support Act)?
Chronically ill people, people with intellectual or physical limitations but also the elderly are always eligible for the Wmo.
After investigation, your municipality will assess whether a customized or transport provision is applicable to your situation. You must however meet certain conditions to qualify for the Wmo.
1. You reside in The Netherlands legitimately.
2. You are a Dutch citizen, you are an asylum residence permit holder or you hold a regular residence permit.
3. You reside in the municipality in which you submitted the application.
A provision is only granted if that service will be necessary for a longer period of time.
If you temporarily end up in a wheelchair, for example because of a broken hip or leg, you are not entitled to compensation for a stairlift, the widening of doors and the removal of obstacles in the home.
There are yet a number of other situations in which you are not entitled to a Wmo service:
Generally customary provisions
You will not receive a Wmo indication for provisions that are considered generally customary. These are provisions that are available in the regular sales trade or that are not specifically intended for people with disabilities. Provisions that you would also have if there was no illness, disability or other limitation. In addition, these provisions are not considerably more expensive than comparable products that serve the same purpose.
Source: Zorgwijzer
If I have a higher income, am I entitled to care from the local government? #inkomen #eigenbijdrage
Do you take care of a loved one? Or do you need help and support because you have a long-term illness? Then, sooner or later you’ll end up at the local government. Since 2015, the municipality where you reside determines if and how much care you will receive. How much you earn may play a role in this. In this article you’ll find answers to a frequently asked question about care, income and co-payments.
I have a high income or I have equity. Am I entitled to care from the municipality?
Of course you are entitled to care provided by the municipality. The municipality may not turn down anybody who needs care or support. Not even if you have a high income or equity. What the municipality can do, is demand a higher co-payment from people who have more money.
What is a co-payment?
The co-payment is an amount you have to pay yourself to receive certain forms of care. The co-payment is not related to your health insurance. The amount is determined by law by the government. The government stipulates that some health care costs will not be fully compensated, and people have to contribute to those themselves.
The co-payment the local government requests from you, can never be higher than the co-payment that is established in the law (Implementation Decree Wmo). All the rules for co-payments are recorded in this implementation decree – and those rules are valid for all municipalities in The Netherlands. Your municipality is allowed to request a lower co-payment than the one stated in the implementation decree, but it can never request a higher co-payment.
How much is my co-payment?
The amount of your co-payment depends on a number of factors: your income, your equity, your age and the composition of your family.
The co-payment is collected by the CAK. This government authority has an informative website about laws and rules pertaining to support. The CAK also provides a handy calculation tool, that helps you calculate the amount of your co-payment.
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