Foto Shutterstock The 1300 euro allowance is for people who need financial help coping with rising energy bills. The deadline for applications was 31 December 2022.
The counter stood at 150 applications at the end of November. A spokesperson for the municipality said the number of applications rose fast after Idealis announced in December that it would increasing service charges by an average of 71 euros as of 1 January 2023. Student applications for special assistance have also increased.
At first the government recommended excluding students from the energy allowance, but the court in Arnhem ruled last summer that this was unjustified. Students in other cities have also taken the matter to court, with the support of the national student’s union LSVb.
Conditions
The Wageningen Federation of Student Associations (WKvV) also called on Wageningen municipality to pay students the energy allowance. The municipality said it was willing in principle but lacked the money and staff to arrange this for all students. ‘The national government has delegated responsibility for the energy allowance to municipalities, but without giving them a budget,’ said WKvV chair Jort Hautvast (20) in December.
Wageningen municipality has told Resource that applications submitted by students will be dealt with just like all the other applications. Even so, it is not clear how many students will eventually receive the allowance as many do not meet the conditions, such as an energy contract in your own name or the minimum age of 21. Hautvast: ‘Many student houses don’t meet these or other conditions, so most students will miss out. At the same time, the huge increases in energy prices are still being passed on to us.’
