From 1 January 2027, maintenance goes up by 4.1%
Every year on 1 January, maintenance amounts in the Netherlands rise by a fixed percentage. For 2027 that is 4.1%. Last year it was 4.6%. The increase applies to child maintenance (kinderalimentatie) and to partner maintenance (partneralimentatie), and it happens automatically: no new court decision is needed and the receiving parent does not have to ask for it.
Even so, something goes wrong every year. The paying parent forgets to adjust the amount, or the receiving parent is not sure what the new amount should be. This article explains how indexation works, how to calculate the new amount and what to do if it is not paid.
How does statutory indexation work?
- It is set by law. Article 1:402a of the Dutch Civil Code says maintenance follows wages every year. The minister sets the percentage based on the average wage growth calculated by Statistics Netherlands (CBS).
- It is automatic. The new amount applies from 1 January, whether or not you have discussed it with each other.
- It applies to child and partner maintenance. An amount you agreed yourselves in a parenting plan or divorce agreement goes up as well.
- Exceptions are in your own agreement. A divorce agreement or court order can say that indexation works differently or does not apply. So first check what your paperwork says.
How to calculate the new amount
Take the amount that applied in 2026 and multiply it by 1.041.
- €250 a month becomes €260.25
- €400 a month becomes €416.40
- €1,000 a month in partner maintenance becomes €1,041.00
Has the maintenance been running for longer? Then you keep building on the amount of the year before. An amount of €300 set in early 2025 became €313.80 on 1 January 2026 (× 1.046) and becomes €326.67 on 1 January 2027 (× 1.041). If an indexation was skipped in an earlier year, today’s amount is wrong too.
Rounding? The law does not round the amount: the new amount simply runs in cents. You only round to whole euros if you agreed to do so.
To be sure, use the LBIO indexation calculator (in Dutch). Enter the year of the decision or agreement and the amount, and you see today’s amount.
What if the indexation is not paid?
If the new amount is not paid, a small shortfall builds up every month. It adds up: at €300 a month the difference in 2027 is just over €12 a month, and after a few years without indexation it quickly runs into hundreds of euros.
- Talk about it first. Often it was simply forgotten. A short message with the new amount and the calculation usually solves it.
- The shortfall can still be paid. An indexation that was not applied can be claimed afterwards. Maintenance instalments expire after five years.
- Can’t work it out together? The LBIO, the Dutch national agency for maintenance collection, can help collect arrears.
Keeping track of indexation in Harmoneaz
In Harmoneaz you record the maintenance once: the amount, who pays and from when. Turn on “Apply indexation” and the app applies the statutory percentage every 1 January, exactly as the law does: always on top of the previous year’s amount.
- See the new amount in advance. As soon as next year’s percentage is known, the 1 January column already shows in the table. You both know before the new year what will change.
- Round the way you agreed. By default the app does not round. If your agreement says to round, you choose per line: nearest euro, up or down.
- The same amount for both of you. Both parents see the same table, with the history per year and a change log. No more discussion about which amount applies.
- The children’s account contribution too. If you agree on a fixed contribution to the children’s account that follows indexation, you add it to the app in the same way.
Setting up your group is free, including the maintenance and the agreements from your parenting plan.
This article is general information, not legal advice. If you are unsure about your situation, ask your mediator, lawyer or the LBIO.
Further reading (external sources)
- LBIO — maintenance indexation from January 2027 (Dutch)
- LBIO — maintenance indexation calculator (Dutch)
- Government of the Netherlands — how much child maintenance do I receive or pay? (Dutch)