De Unie, in your interest

For how long can I get unemployment benefit?

How long you can receive unemployment benefits depends on your situation. To assess how long you are entitled to unemployment benefits, we first check whether you meet the weeks requirement. If you meet the weeks requirement, you are in any case entitled to a basic benefit of 3 months. After the weeks requirement, the years requirement is looked at. If you also meet the years requirement, your unemployment benefit can be extended. How long you are entitled to unemployment benefits in total depends on your employment history.

In some cases, we look further than just the weeks requirement. This can be the case, for example, in the following cases:

  • You have been ill in the reference period;
  • You were given pregnancy or maternity leave in the reference period;
  • You took unpaid leave.

If this is the case, the most recent period in which you worked for 26 weeks is considered. In the case of the year requirement, the last 5 calendar years prior to the year in which you became unemployed are always considered. If you have worked for at least 4 years during this period, you meet the years requirement.