A mobility scooter, stairlift, wheelchair or home adaptation can fall under different Dutch laws. First establish which organisation is responsible and whether you have a formal decision.
Not every assistive device follows the same law or route.
Under the Social Support Act, known as the Wmo, a municipality may provide devices and adaptations needed for independent living and participation, such as a wheelchair, mobility scooter, stairlift or hoist. Devices for medical care at home may fall under health insurance, while UWV may be responsible for work or education. Source: Regelhulp, in Dutch.
Apply before buying the device. Official Dutch guidance warns that you may otherwise receive no reimbursement.
For devices and home adaptations that support independent living and participation, such as a mobility scooter, wheelchair or stairlift. The municipality must assess your personal situation. Source: Government.nl.
For devices connected with medical care at home. The precise conditions depend on the device and the insurance rules. Source: Regelhulp, in Dutch.
UWV may be responsible for a device needed to work or study. The same type of device can therefore follow a different route when its purpose changes. Source: Regelhulp, in Dutch.
If you have an indication under the Long-term Care Act, known as the Wlz, the care office or care provider may have a role. If the correct law is unclear, Het Juiste Loket offers free independent guidance. Source: Regelhulp, in Dutch.
A notification, in Dutch a melding, asks the municipality to investigate your need for support. Record the date and ask for confirmation.
The municipality must make free independent client support available. An adviser can help prepare the assessment and attend it with you. Source: Government.nl. Read how client support works.
Describe activities inside and outside the home, how often the problem occurs, what you have already tried and which risk or loss of independence results. A diagnosis alone may not explain daily functioning.
Check whether your limitations, aims, existing help and possible solutions are recorded correctly. Respond in writing to factual errors or missing information before the municipality decides.
The notification starts an investigation but is not yet a decision you can object to. After the investigation comes a formal application, or aanvraag, followed by a written decision. If the investigation is unfinished six weeks after notification, Dutch Wmo law also allows you to apply then. Source: Wmo 2015, article 2.3.2.
If you disagree with the written decision, send an objection to the municipality within six weeks. Explain which part of the investigation or reasoning you believe is incorrect and attach only relevant documents. Source: Government.nl.
Use the sample objection letter as a starting point and adapt it to the decision about your device. Include the reference and date, explain which part of the investigation or reasoning is wrong and state what you want the municipality to reconsider.
The sample page also shows the basic parts of a valid objection. Always check the deadline and submission method in your own decision letter.
The municipality must investigate as soon as possible and no later than six weeks after notification. Under the Wmo, a decision should in principle follow within two weeks after a formal application. A decision period may sometimes be suspended or extended. Government.nl confirms the six-week assessment period; the Wmo 2015, articles 2.3.2 and 2.3.5, contains the legal wording.
If the process is delayed, ask in writing which stage has been reached: notification, investigation, application or decision. Those words determine which next step is possible.
The municipality must assess your needs and preferences and consider what you can do yourself, what your network can do and whether another law applies. A standard sentence does not replace an individual assessment. Source: Government.nl.
Check whether the cheaper or general solution actually solves the specific problem, is safe to use and is available when you need it.
Ask for a clear explanation if the municipality says that the health insurer, UWV or care office is responsible. If organisations refer you back and forth, read what you can do next.
Check whether information from a clinician or occupational therapist was summarised accurately. If that information is incomplete, read how to request your medical records. Do not automatically share the complete record, but only what is needed to explain your limitations and support needs.
