Are you facing loonbeslag? You must never be left without a subsistence minimum. That is what the beslagvrije voet is for: the part of your income that cannot be attached, so that you can keep paying rent, groceries and healthcare costs. You can check your protected earnings threshold easily with the officiële rekentool.
What is wage garnishment?
In wage garnishment your employer (or benefits agency) receives notice from the bailiff and is verplicht to cooperate. Part of your wages goes to the bailiff or creditor; you keep at least the beslagvrije voet.
Tip: always check that your details are correct (household situation, housing costs, income) and herbereken yourself using the official tool. Changes can raise or lower your protected earnings.
What is the protected earnings threshold?
The protected earnings threshold is the wettelijk beschermde part of your income. How high it is depends on, among other things, household composition, income and housing costs. In practice it is often around 90–95% of the standard social assistance rate, with maximumbedragen that are adjusted annually. You can check and calculate it at uwbeslagvrijevoet.nl.
Maximum protected earnings (July 2025 – indicative)
-
Single, no children: € 2.093,67 p/m
-
Alleenstaande ouder: € 2.264,67 p/m
-
Married or cohabiting, no children: € 2.771,07 p/m
-
Married or cohabiting, with children: € 2.888,00 p/m
Source: official guidance (uwbeslagvrijevoet / Schuldinfo). Note: your feitelijke threshold can come out lower because other income and allowances count towards it. Always check with the calculator.
Bijzondere situaties
-
No fixed address or a correspondence address: a different, lower threshold applies under the legislation.
-
Staying in an institution: your own contribution can count in the calculation.
-
Living abroad with Dutch income: the threshold applies as a rule, but is often calculated as though you lived in the Netherlands; give the bailiff your address and household details.
Note: in a number of situations less money is left to live on, because a lower threshold usually applies. That is generally the case if you live abroad, if you are homeless, or if you are temporarily staying in an institution such as a nursing or care home.
Does this describe your situation?
You can then ask the bailiff to raise your threshold to the standard amount. You will need to show what your income is and exactly what your housing situation involves — proof of address, household details or a statement of residence. That prevents the threshold being set unnecessarily low.
If you are unsure, or if your circumstances change, it is always sensible to contact the bailiff so that your personal situation is taken into account.
Health insurance premiums and non-payment: what happens?
If you fall behind with your zorgpremie, you can be reported to the CAK. The bestuursrechtelijke premie is then collected from your wages or benefit. Importantly, the health insurance premium is a vaste last and belongs within the protected earnings threshold — it is cannot be attached. Meld betalingsproblemen vroeg; an arrangement is often possible.
Bank attachment versus wage garnishment: a big difference
With bankbeslag (attachment of your account) the protected earnings threshold is not applied automatically toegepast. Neem direct contact the bailiff and ask them to release what you minimally need to live on.
Do you want to contact the bailiff, for example to pass on your details or to discuss how much you need to get by? Look carefully at the letter about your protected earnings: it sets out exactly how to reach the right person. That stops you being left without enough money for your day-to-day expenses.
Can the municipality set off a debt against your benefit?
Yes. In certain cases the municipality may set an outstanding debt off directly against your benefit, for example social assistance. This is called set-off or deduction. The municipality must respect the protected earnings threshold: the part of your income you minimally need for daily expenses.
Is this leaving you short? Contact the municipality straight away to discuss whether the deduction can be adjusted. Organisations such as the Nibud or the Juridisch Loket can also advise you on how to deal with it.
How is the threshold calculated?
The bailiff or attaching creditor calculates your threshold using data (from the UWV wage register, the population register and the Tax Administration) and the housing costs and allowances you report. You can zelf narekenen and, where necessary, aanvullende gegevens aanleveren.
What you need in order to check:
-
The threshold statement or the bailiff’s letter
-
Recent payslips (yours and your partner’s)
-
Rent or mortgage, health insurance policy
-
A summary of allowances (housing, healthcare, childcare)
When does an adjusted threshold take effect?
An adjusted threshold can take effect at different moments, depending on when you supply the correct information:
-
Within 4 weeks of the attachment starting: If within that period you report that the bailiff used incorrect data (and supply the correct information), or it turns out the threshold was miscalculated, the adjusted amount applies retroactively from the start of the attachment. If you paid too much, the excess is refunded.
-
Na 4 weken: If you supply the correct information later (after 4 weeks or more), the adjusted threshold applies from the moment you report it. In that case there is no refund for the earlier period.
So check your details quickly and report any errors as soon as you can, to avoid losing money.
Common mistakes (and how to put them right)
Things often go wrong where housing costs or health premiums are ignored, no partner assessment is made, the wrong income period is used, or allowances are left out. Check, and ask for herberekening with evidence (tenancy agreement, policy, payslips). The government advises you to check for yourself and report any changes.
Unsure about multiple attachments? In the landelijk beslagregister bailiffs coordinate their attachments in order to dubbele inhouding te voorkomen.
Refunds where the threshold was wrong
Goed nieuws: if too much was withheld from your wages or benefit because of a calculation error or incorrect information, you can often get that money back. But timing is everything.
Note the following:
- Reported straight away, within 4 weeks? If within four weeks of the attachment you report that the deurwaarder used incorrect data (and you send the correct information at the same time), the excess withheld is refunded to you.
- A calculation error by the bailiff? Even where the deurwaarder had the correct data but still made an error in the calculation, the excess is refunded — provided you raise it quickly.
Is the error only discovered and reported after four weeks? Then you are less fortunate: the excess stays withheld, even if you supply the correct data afterwards. So always check the calculation immediately after an attachment and act quickly if you see anything wrong.
Can several bailiffs attach my income?
If you are in arrears with several creditors, more than one bailiff may want to attach your income. You need not fear a double deduction: through the national attachment register bailiffs consult one another and coordinate the attachments. Your protected earnings threshold is always taken into account, so that you do not fall below the subsistence minimum.
Do you think something is nonetheless wrong, or are you receiving several notices about attachment of your income? Contact the bailiffs involved so that any misunderstanding is resolved quickly.
What to do if the calculation is too low
-
Vraag herberekening with the bailiff (with supporting documents).
-
Check beslagregister where there are multiple attachments.
-
Object, or go to court if no correction follows.
-
Get legal help (with us this is generally free for you; where possible we recover the costs from the other party or through the arrangement).
When does an adjusted threshold take effect?
If you report in time that your threshold was miscalculated — within 4 weeks of the attachment, with the correct data or evidence provided to the bailiff — the recalculation usually applies retroactively: the excess withheld is refunded.
If your report comes later (after those 4 weeks), the correct amount is usually applied from the moment you report it. The money withheld in excess before that date is unfortunately not refunded.
Kortom:
- Binnen 4 weken reporting plus correct data = recalculation from the start, refund possible.
- Na 4 weken reporting = adjustment from the report onwards, no refund for the past.
Too much withheld? How refunds work
If your threshold is set too low and you find out in time, you are in many cases entitled to a refund of the amount withheld in excess.
Note the following rules:
- Reported within 4 weeks: If within 4 weeks of the attachment you discover errors in the calculation (incorrect data or a miscalculation) and supply the correct documents straight away, the bailiff should correct the threshold retroactively and refund the excess.
- Reported after 4 weeks: If you only find out later, the threshold is adjusted from the moment you report it. In that case there is normally no refund for the preceding period.
In short: the sooner you check and demonstrate any errors, the better your chance of getting your money back. If in doubt, request a recalculation straight away and keep all your evidence to hand.
Has your situation changed? Report it at once
A move, a change in household, different rent or income? That can direct your threshold. Report changes with evidence to the bailiff immediately and ask for a schriftelijke bevestiging.
Examples from practice (anonymised)
-
Werknemer was left with €1,000 a month; on checking, the threshold turned out to be €1.450 → €450 p/m extra.
-
Alleenstaande ouder: childcare allowance and housing costs had not been taken into account → the threshold was corrected.
-
Bijstandsuitkering about the threshold → none inhouding toegestaan.
Wage garnishment checklist
-
📄 Request a specificatie of the protected earnings threshold
-
📑 Check of rent, health premium, allowances and partner income have been included
-
🧾 Lever bewijsstukken in good time
-
🧮 Herbereken using the official tool
-
👨⚖️ Raise the alarm (legal help) if no correction follows
Veelgestelde vragen
1) How much can be withheld at most?
You always keep the beslagvrije voet; at least 5% of net income goes towards repayment. The exact room depends on your personal calculation.
2) Can the threshold be adjusted afterwards?
Yes. Where there are changes or errors you can ask for a herberekening; supply evidence and ask for schriftelijke bevestiging.
3) Does the threshold also apply to bank attachment?
Not automatically. Contact them meteen and ask for the statutory minimum to be released for living expenses.
4) Can my holiday pay be attached?
Holiday pay counts in the income base for the calculation, which affects the threshold and the room for repayment.
5) What if there are several attachments?
The first attaching creditor calculates the threshold; the others must respect it. Registration and coordination run through the rekenmodule/beslagregister.
How can you tackle your debts?
Solving debt usually starts with an overview and with action. First list every outstanding bill and creditor, with amounts and payment dates. Then map your income and fixed costs, so you can see how much room there is to repay.
Steps to tackle debt:
- Agree a payment arrangement: contact creditors and discuss paying in instalments.
- Ask for help if you need it: if you cannot manage on your own, call in the debt assistance service of your gemeente. They can mediate or start a debt restructuring process.
- Houd contact: Tell creditors what your situation is. Silence often leads to unnecessary increases.
- Avoid new debts: stay within your budget as far as you can and, if necessary, appoint an administrator or budget coach.
- Check your details: report any errors to the organisations involved straight away and ask for written confirmation of the correction.
If these steps still do not get you out of debt, restructuring under the Dutch Natural Persons Debt Restructuring Act (WSNP) may be possible in some cases. It is a last resort, with strict conditions.
Why Arslan Advocaten?
-
Gespecialiseerd in wage garnishment and protected earnings
-
Snelle herberekening and objections where there are errors
-
Strong in negotiation with bailiffs and creditors
-
Kosteloze hulp for clients in most cases (we recover the reasonable costs where possible)
Gerelateerd:
More frequently asked questions
What is wage garnishment and how does it affect my income?
Wage garnishment occurs when a creditor or debt collector orders your employer to withhold part of your salary to pay off a debt. However, you are protected by the ‘beslagvrije voet,’ which ensures you keep a minimum income to cover living expenses.
How can I check if the amount of garnishment is correct?
You should verify your personal details, income, and living situation using the official online tool ‘uwbeslagvrijevoet.nl’ to ensure your garnishment amount is accurate and that your protected earnings are correctly calculated.
What is the ‘beslagvrije voet’ and how is it determined?
The ‘beslagvrije voet’ is the legally protected portion of your income that cannot be garnished, and it depends on factors like your household situation, income, and living costs. It typically ranges around 90-95% of the standard social assistance rate.
Can I request an increase in my protected earnings if my situation is special?
Yes, if you live abroad, are homeless, or in a care facility, you can ask the creditor or bailiff to increase your ‘beslagvrije voet’ to a standard amount by providing proof of your income and living situation to prevent your protected income from being set too low.
