Holiday pay for state pension recipients: how much will you get in 2024?

Is Thursday, May 23, 2024 already circled in red in your calendar? If you are entitled to AOW, you will receive your monthly benefit on that day, including holiday pay. Whether you are single or have a partner, this can be a welcome extra on your bill. What are the rules regarding holiday pay for state pensioners? And how much can you expect?

Holiday pay for singles

You receive an AOW benefit every month – the 12 pay days in 2024 can be found here – and holiday pay is added in the month of May. You save this amount every month and you receive the total amount into your account once a year. For singles, this currently amounts to 76.20 euros gross per month. If you have been single since May 2023 and receive AOW (and therefore accrue holiday pay), the annual amount is just above 900 euros gross. This is higher than in 2023, because the maximum amount in that year is still 843.96 euros gross.

Holiday pay for married couples

For married people or cohabiting couples, this amounts to 54.44 euros gross per month, per person. The annual amount is close to 650 euros gross, over the period June 2023-May 2024. This is also higher than the maximum amount from 2023, namely 602.84 euros gross per person. You can find out how much the net amount will be in your case in My SVB (log in with DigiD). Single AOW recipients can also find their net amount here.

Holiday pay for married couples, including AOW allowance

In addition, you may still be entitled to the AOW supplement (full or reduced by 10 percent), even though this scheme was abolished in 2015. Do you indeed still meet those conditions? For example, if your younger partner has a low income and does not yet receive an AOW pension? Then you are also entitled to a higher monthly holiday allowance.

Minimum wage or social assistance benefit

Even if you have not yet reached state pension age, you are usually entitled to holiday pay. If you are employed, your collective labor agreement and/or employment contract will contain agreements about the payment of your holiday pay. Anyone who earns the minimum wage is entitled to at least 8 percent. Social assistance benefits include 5 percent holiday pay. In these cases too, payment will take place in May. You can read how much holiday pay workers in each income category receive, from part-time workers to those who earn 3 times the average, in this press release from payroll administrator ADP.

(Source: Archive, Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB), Margriet, Nibud, Naammetpensioen.nl, Government, ADP. Photo: Shutterstock)