How high will my benefit be?
If you become unemployed and apply for unemployment benefits, you have a lot to deal with. Of course you want to know as soon as possible how high your benefit will be. And if you find work again and receive a wage, what will happen to your benefits? In this blog we explain how the UWV determines the amount of your unemployment benefit and what happens to it when you go back to work.
Calculation of your unemployment benefit
The UWV follows a number of steps to determine the amount of your unemployment benefit. You will find it below.
- SV wages
You probably know the amount of your last gross and net salary. But for the calculation of your unemployment benefit, your so-called SV wage is used: your social insurance wage. This is what you paid taxes and social security contributions on. Your SV wage is usually stated on your salary slip. If not, take the wage before payroll tax as a starting point.
- Daily wages
With the SV wage you can calculate the daily wage for your unemployment benefit. This is the wage you earned in the past year, divided by the number of days you worked. This is based on the period up to the month before you became unemployed.
For example, will you lose your job on April 1, 2023? Then you use the period from March 1, 2022 to February 28, 2023 to calculate your daily wage. For example, was your SV wage in that year € 30.000 and did you work all 261 working days of the year? Then your daily wage is € 114,94.
- Maximum daily wage
There is a maximum for this daily wage. This is reassessed every six months. Since 1 January 2023, the maximum daily wage is € 256,54. Is your own daily wage higher? In that case, the UWV will still use the maximum to calculate your unemployment benefit.
- WW monthly wage
By multiplying your daily wage by the number of working days per month (21,75), you calculate what you earned on average per month in the past year.
- Your unemployment benefit
The first two months that you are unemployed, your benefit is 75 percent of the monthly wage. After that it will be 70 percent. In the first month you will therefore receive a maximum of € 4184,81: € 256,54 (maximum daily wage) x 21,75 days x 75%. Holiday money is still reserved from this – you will receive this from the UWV in May.
Calculate how high your unemployment benefit will be? Usage the calculation tool of the UWV.
Extra income during the WW
If you receive unemployment benefits, you are obliged to apply. You may soon find a new job. You must pass on the income you earn with this to the UWV. After every month fill you the Income form on the website of the UWV, even if you had no other income than your unemployment benefit. If you do not do this, the UWV will not be able to calculate the amount of your benefit and you will not receive any money while you may still be entitled to it.
SV wages
Are you earning an income again? In that case, you must report the SV wage to the UWV. Your employer does too. So you can also wait until your employer has done this, then you only have to check and confirm the details.
What does the extra income mean for your benefit?
To determine that, you need your monthly salary; you will find this in the letter in which the UWV has awarded your benefit. If you earn more than 87,5 percent of your monthly wage, the UWV will stop your benefit. And do you earn less? Then the UWV will supplement your income up to the level of your unemployment benefit.
Working during your unemployment benefits is usually financially advantageous. The UWV only settles part of your income. Your SV wage is deducted from the WW monthly wage. Your unemployment benefit is 70 or 75 percent of the amount that remains.
Holiday pay
Do you receive holiday pay from your employer once a year? In that case, this will only be deducted from your benefit in the month that you state the holiday allowance on the Income Form. Bear in mind that you will therefore receive no or less benefit in that month.
More information
Do you have questions about your unemployment benefit? Or have you lost your job and need help? Please contact our Service Center directly. We are available every working day from 8.30 am to 17.00 pm via sc@unie.nl en 0345 851 963.
