The municipality of Amsterdam (Gemeente Amsterdam) has made an energy costs compensation available of €1,000 / €1,800 (depending on income and assets) per household. As a student, you are (still) not eligible for this. It often happens that students are excluded from these kinds of measures, usually because tailored solutions are provided for them by the central government. In this case, however, students are completely left out. This is why various experts have indicated that excluding students from this surcharge is discriminatory. Excluding an entire group requires a valid reason, which is not the case in this situation.
Studentenvakbond ASVA has come up with a solution for this: by making formal objections en masse against the rejection, we force the municipalities to engage in a discussion about excluding students from this allowance, even though many students desperately need the extra support. Handling an objection, then an appeal, and potentially a court procedure all take a lot of time, especially when dealing with large numbers. That’s why it’s extremely important for as many students as possible to help pressure the municipalities. And of course, you’re helping yourself as well!
The application form is available on the website of the Municipality. Submit an application to the Municipality of Amsterdam for the energy costs compensation and file an objection before December 31, 2022. First, check the ASVA website for the step-by-step plan so you know exactly what you can do. ASVA can even assist you with the entire application.
Important! As a student, you are initially not eligible for the compensation. Therefore, only indicate in the comments at the end that you are a student, not earlier.