Making your home future-proof — subsidies and support schemes

Anyone adapting a home for old age or disability soon wonders: is there financial support available for this? The answer is: sometimes.

The Wmo (the Dutch Social Support Act, a municipal support scheme) offers a contribution towards home adjustments in specific situations. But the rules are complex and the assessment lies with the municipality. What a future-proof home actually entails can be found in making your home future-proof.

What is the Wmo?

The Wmo (Wet maatschappelijke ondersteuning) is a Dutch law that obliges municipalities to support people with a disability so that they can live independently for as long as possible. Home adjustments fall under this law in some cases.

Which adjustments may qualify?

The Wmo assessment is individual. Adjustments may qualify if they are necessary because of a disability, contribute to independent living and cannot reasonably be realised with one's own means.

Examples: a stair handrail, threshold removal, bathroom adjustments, a stairlift.

A stair renovation as an aesthetic improvement does not usually fall under the Wmo. A medically necessary anti-slip solution may. Practical measures for the staircase itself can be found in making stairs safer for seniors.

How do you apply for Wmo support?

Through the municipality. Request a home assessment interview, during which an official assesses the situation at home. The municipality determines what support is offered.

Other options?

Housing corporations sometimes offer adjustments to tenants. Some municipalities have their own senior subsidy. Consult your municipality's website for current information.

Are you arranging this for your father or mother? Then also read my parents have difficulty walking.