Participation Act Leiden: transition from WWB and local changes

The Participation Act replaced the Work and Assistance Act (WWB) as of 1 January 2015 in Leiden, with transitional law for existing benefits at the municipality of Leiden. WWB beneficiaries in Leiden retained their rights until reassessment by the Werkplein team, but had to comply with stricter participation requirements such as mandatory job application training via Werk Leiden. For young people (18-27), the 'guarantee act' applies: maximum 2 years of benefit without work, followed by trajectories with local employers such as Leiden Bio Science Park. Asset limits were tightened and the one-off asset designation abolished, with stricter checks by the Leiden social services. The municipality of Leiden gained more freedom in activation measures, such as pilots with internships at Leiden University and ROC Mondriaan. Changes since then: in 2020, increase in norms due to inflation, adjusted to Leiden cost of living; 2023 extension of starters scheme for starters on the Leiden labour market. For Wajongers integrated via participation act benefit with wage top-up, supported by Leiden inclusion projects. Transition from WW to Participation Act requires notification to UWV and referral to Werkplein Leiden. Older schemes such as IoW have been absorbed into broader trajectories via the Leiden Work and Income desk. Check your status via Werk.nl or the Leiden app. This transition reduced the number of benefit recipients in Leiden by approximately 25% due to stricter testing and local work programmes. For advice on transition: consult the SVB, municipality of Leiden or Werkplein. Local context, such as the university city dynamics, helps in understanding ongoing matters.