Most types of Dutch households will have more disposable income in 2024, according to a new report by family spending institute Nibud. The only group of households set to get poorer this year are single people on minimum incomes, who will be affected by the end of energy subsidies.
Many Dutch families with children will benefit from higher childcare allowances from the Dutch government in 2024, with calculations from Nibud showing that working parents with two children could be as much as 300 euros better off per month.
“I expect a lot of people to be happy,” Nibud director Arjan Vliegenthart told NOS. “They have more perspective after last year’s knock. This will be a year to take stock and build up savings again.”
Despite the good news for families, Nibud’s calculations also show that the next year will be harder on single people on low salaries. The loss of the energy subsidy provided since the skyrocketing prices of utility bills in 2022. “A couple of tens of euros a month is a lot when you have a small budget,” Vliegenhart said, talking about those on low incomes who will see cuts in energy allowance in 2024.
The government has tried to mitigate this in their most recent budget, though. People on low incomes can claim money from a special emergency fund if their energy bills are consuming at least 8 to 10 percent of their monthly income.