Dutch Pension Reform Approved
Dutch pension reform was solidified by the Dutch lower house of parliament on December 22, 2022. The legislation still requires approval by the upper house of parliament, but the biggest hurdle for passage is overcome.
A transition period will take place from July 2023 to January 2027. As a result, employers have until January 1, 2027 to comply with the new legislation.
Under the new system, defined contribution schemes based on a flat rate contribution percentage will become the standard. Existing defined contribution plans with an age-related contribution table may be continued for current employees. This means employers can still offer the actual age-related contribution table after January 1, 2027 to existing staff members (in service on December 31, 2026). However, new staff members must be offered a flat rate defined contribution scheme from January 1, 2027 (the latest).
Under the new system, many employers will probably have schemes for:
- Existing staff members based on the actual age-related contribution table.
- New staff members based on a flat rate contribution percentage.
Another important change is that partner pensions, paid out to the surviving partner upon death, will be a percentage of the pensionable salary, regardless of years of service (which is now the case).
In 2023 Dutch pension carriers will present new pension products, and it is expected expect they will provide their clients with standard proposals in which they offer to split the scheme into a scheme for existing staff members and a scheme for new hires.
This information about Dutch pension reform was provided by Schouten Zekerheid, Asinta’s employee benefits consulting Partner in the Netherlands.