​Central level

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment is responsible for:

• Developing policy and legislation in the fields of social welfare and social security;
• Supporting the municipalities in the implementation of the new social support policy and the implementation of their tasks;
• Providing specialized services for families and children.

The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport is responsible for:

• Funding of child-care provided by municipalities;
• Setting performance targets for social housing associations and monitoring the performance.

Public Employment Service agencies (Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen, or UWV's) are in charge of "employee insurances", such as unemployment and disability insurances.

​Responsible ministries/bodies

Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport

Regional level

Regional authorities are responsible for:

• Allocating quotas for social housing;
• Allocating grants to the municipalities

​Responsible ministries/bodies

Provinces

Local level

Local authorities are responsible for:

• Implementing (at their discretion) and making policy in executing Social Support Act 2015 designed to provide support to people with an impairment (including the elderly, disabled or people with psychological problems); the responsibilities for the execution and policy making of this act lie with the municipalities;
• Providing individual personalised provisions for people with disabilities;
• Implementing the Participation Act aimed at assisting work-incapacitated persons to access work opportunities (these are persons who have a mental, psychological and/or physical impairment who, without facilities, cannot earn the statutory minimum wage. Employers receive a subsidy for wage costs);
• Providing and administering "people insurances" such as social assistance;
• Managing welfare payments;
• Administering social services;
• Supporting men, women and children who are victims of domestic violence;
• Providing support for people who are homeless;
• Providing financial support for people with a chronic illness or condition;
• Organising care for the elderly;
• Supervising child care;
• Supporting the educational function of playrooms with subsidies;
• Offering youth assistance (see below);
• Registering marriage, partnerships or births;
• Collaborating with private housing associations on the development of social housing.

Responsible ministries/bodies

Municipalities

Sources

Burgerlijk Wetboek Boek 1

Gezondheidswet

Huisvestingswet

Wet kinderopvang en kwaliteitseisen peuterspeelzalen

Wet Maatschappelijke Ondersteuning

Act Work and Social Assistance (Wet Werk en Bijstand, or WWB)

Participation Act

The Hague: Social Support Act Summary, 2015

Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport