Employees who suddenly lose their job in a glass office tower on the Bezuidenhoutseweg no longer have to wait weeks for their first euro from 2026 onwards. The biggest amendment to the Unemployment Benefits Act (WW) in years will take effect on 1 July and focuses on speed and less paperwork.
Daily Wage Without Complex Tiers
The amount forming the basis for each monthly WW benefit will henceforth be calculated simply as an average over the last twelve months. Holiday allowance is included as standard, one-off bonuses are spread over the year and seasonal workers no longer need to follow a separate formula. The maximum daily wage will rise to € 287.50.
First Payment Within Two Weeks
Through direct linkage with payroll systems the UWV can transfer the first benefit within fourteen days instead of four to eight weeks. For people who have just been dismissed by a ministry or by a company on the Prinses Beatrixlaan this makes an immediate difference to rent or mortgage payments.
Additional Earnings up to Forty Per Cent Without Immediate Penalty
The old rule that every hour worked immediately reduces the entire benefit disappears. Up to forty per cent of the previous wage may be earned on the side; only the excess is deducted. This makes it more attractive to take up part-time work, for example in the hospitality sector or at a temporary employment agency in The Hague.
Adjusted Obligation for Older Employees
Anyone over sixty with at least thirty years of employment history receives a lighter obligation to apply for jobs. The UWV draws up a plan with the employee in which coaching and retraining take centre stage instead of dozens of applications per month.
What Does Not Change?
The duration of the benefit remains dependent on employment history: three to a maximum of twenty-four months. In the event of summary dismissal the culpability test continues to apply; anyone at fault receives no benefit.
Employers: Make Preparations
- Check whether your payroll software is ready for the new UWV linkage
- Have settlement agreements reviewed by a specialist from the Arslan office on Parkstraat
- Discuss the new additional-earnings rules in advance with employees nearing retirement
Employees: Where Can You Turn?
Do you become unemployed after 1 July 2026? The new rules apply immediately and ongoing benefits will be converted, usually to your advantage. If you have doubts about your rights, the Juridisch Loket Den Haag or the Rechtbank Den Haag can carry out an initial check.