Benefit for Older Self-Employed Individuals with Partial Work Disability (IOAZ)

You may be eligible for a benefit from the municipality if you are 55 years of age or older and stop working as a self-employed person. This is called an IOAZ benefit. You will only receive this benefit if your income is insufficient to live on.

You can apply for this benefit if you have to stop working as a self-employed person or sell your own business. You apply for the benefit at your local municipality.

How does it work?

You can receive an IOAZ benefit if you meet certain requirements:

  • You have stopped working as a self-employed person or need to stop.
  • You are between 55 years old and retirement age.
  • You do not have enough income to live on.
  • You have worked as a self-employed person for at least 10 years. Or you have worked as a self-employed person for 3 years and, prior to that, worked as an employee for 7 years.
  • You worked 1,225 hours or more per year as a self-employed person. Did your partner also work in the business? If so, you must have worked at least 875 hours per year in the business, and your partner must have worked at least 525 hours.
  • Over the past 3 years, the profit from your business, combined with any other income, averaged less than €23,938 gross per year.
  • In the future, your business will not be able to earn more than €25,433 gross per year. The municipality is investigating this.

What if I am partially unable to work?

Are you partially unable to work and have you stopped working as a self-employed person? If so, you can apply for an IOAZ benefit if you meet the following conditions:

  • You have been deemed less than 80% disabled.
  • You were already receiving an IOAZ benefit on December 28, 2005.
  • You are not eligible for a supplement under the Supplementary Benefits Act (because your partner was born after December 31, 1971).
  • You do not have a child under the age of 12.
  • You have worked for the company for at least a certain number of hours, and the company's income is not too high (see the conditions in the first list).

What should I do?

You must apply for the IOAZ benefit through your municipality. Submit your application before you stop working as a self-employed person. You must have stopped working as a self-employed person within 1½ years of submitting your application.

You will be notified automatically whether you will receive the benefit.

For more information, please contact the municipality of Leidschendam-Voorburg.

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