Tax authorities don’t recognise unit numbers, no benefits
The student flat at the Esdoornlaan consists of ten storeys, which are divided into blocks that each have their own number, like 278. The rooms in each block are designated by the block number and an additional number, so 278-1, 278-2, etc.
However, this addition isn’t recognised by the tax authorities. This means only one student per block can actually apply for housing benefits, as any others get told that someone already applied on ‘their’ unit number.
Processed incorrectly
It’s unclear whose fault this is exactly. ‘Before we started renting out the units in Acero, we checked with the tax authorities whether residents would be eligible for housing benefits and they said yes’, says a spokesperson for housing agency Lefier.
She says they communicated the unit numbers ‘well before renting out the rooms’ to the tax authorities, but the latter says they never received the information. ‘We’re under the impression that the tax authorities didn’t process all the numbers correctly. We’ve contacted them to figure out how we can solve this.’
When students will be able to apply for housing benefits is unclear at this point. ‘We’d hoped everything would be taken care of by now, because they have a right to the benefits.’