Applying for redundancy pay compensation when closing a small business

To apply, complete the Redundancy pay compensation application form (‘Aanvraag compensatie voor transitievergoeding bij bedrijfsbeëindiging’). You will need to log in to the employer portal with your EH3 level eHerkenning account to do this.

• your company’s chamber of commerce number (‘KVK–nummer’)
• a copy of each employee’s contract (or payslips specifying each employee’s first day of employment)
• a document proving you ended the employment contracts
• a document specifying how the redundancy pay was calculated
• a copy of the payslips issued during the last month or 4 weeks in which your employees received full pay
• a document proving the redundancy pay was paid in full (including the date on which this payment was made)

• In the event of retirement: You must have reached the state pension age (‘AOW-leeftijd’) by the time you close your business. Or, you must be turning that age within 6 months of submitting your request to end an employee’s contract.
• In the event of death: Heirs or co-owners must have submitted a request to end at least 1 of the employee’s contracts within 12 months of you passing away.

• You must have received our permission to end at least 1 of your employee’s contracts, or their contract must have been terminated by a district judge (‘kantonrechter’) in court. 
• You must not have employed more than 24 people on average in the year before you received our permission to end an employee’s contract.
• Your employee must have received their full redundancy pay on or after 1 January 2021. This must be a gross amount. If you paid your employee a net amount without paying tax, your application will be rejected. 
• Your employee must have received their redundancy pay within 9 months of you obtaining our permission, or that of a district judge, to end the contract. Or, they must have received their redundancy pay within 9 months of their contract being terminated in court.

You, or your co-owners or heirs, will be able to apply for compensation once all of your employees have received their redundancy pay. Keep in mind that the payment must have occurred on or after 1 January 2021.

Make sure you, or your heirs or co-owners, apply for redundancy pay compensation within 12 months of submitting a request to end an employee’s contract.

Please note: If your business is closing because of severe illness, you will not be able to apply for redundancy pay compensation yet. Keep an eye on this page to find out when you will be able to apply for this.

We will evaluate your application per employee. You will receive a decision about your application in the employer portal within 8 weeks. If you are entitled to compensation, you will receive the payment within 6 weeks of our decision.