Your DUO student loan repayment can reflect earnings from a job you no longer have. For a Dutch repayment assessment in 2026, DUO normally looks at 2024 income. When a cut in hours or salary reduces your annual income, you can ask DUO to use a more recent year in its calculation.
Quick answer. Compare annual taxable income for the relevant years, including a partner when required. A fall of at least 15% generally qualifies for a reference-year change. A separate minimum-income exception applies to single borrowers. Request the change in Mijn DUO and keep paying the amount currently due until DUO confirms a change. DUO’s reference-year rules and thresholds.
Find the income behind your DUO student loan repayment
Open your latest decision in Mijn DUO. Note the repayment year, the income year used, the instalment, and the repayment rules that apply to you. It helps to put both years in the filename when you save the decision. A 2026 letter can correctly refer to earnings for 2024.
If you file Dutch tax returns, look for aggregate income, or verzamelinkomen. Otherwise DUO uses taxable salary from the relevant annual statement or statements. Net pay in your current account is a different number. Use the same income measure on both sides of your comparison before estimating how much it has fallen.
For most repayment regimes, DUO automatically considers available income data from the tax authority. Under SF15-old, you need to request an income-based reduction yourself the first time. Once you know which rule applies, you can distinguish a first request for an income assessment from a request to replace an older income year.
Work out the drop across a whole calendar year
Suppose a borrower’s relevant annual income was €40,000 in 2024. They expect €33,000 in 2026 after moving to shorter shifts. The difference is €7,000. Divide that difference by the original €40,000 and multiply by 100. The result is 17.5%, above the general threshold for asking DUO to use the later year.
Add a partner earning €20,000 in each year, assuming the partner’s income counts. The household moves from €60,000 to €53,000. The same €7,000 loss now represents about 11.7%. A request based only on the borrower’s salary would give a misleading impression of this household’s eligibility.
| # | Figure to collect | Where to check it | What to look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Original annual income | Decision letter and reference-year tax information | The yearly income amount the original decision was based on |
| 2 | Current-year salary earned so far | Latest payslip | Cumulative taxable pay (year-to-date) |
| 3 | Expected income still to come | Revised working hours, holiday pay, expected year-end payments | Total of all payments still due before year-end |
| 4 | Relevant partner’s income | Partner’s annual assessment or current-year estimate | Their total annual income, on the same basis as yours |
The month the change starts matters. A cut from full-time to three days a week in November affects only part of this calendar year. Add actual earnings before the change and expected earnings after it. Multiplying your new monthly pay by twelve can significantly understate the year’s total.
The single-borrower exception can matter near the boundary. For 2026, DUO lists a minimum-income threshold of €23,416.72. A single borrower whose earnings fell below that figure may qualify even when the drop is under 15%. Use the threshold for the income year you propose and the applicable definition of income.
Request a different year in Mijn DUO
- Sign in with DigiD, open Mijn schulden and choose Minder of niets betalen. Select Inkomen gedaald, then Peiljaar verleggen. If you have several messages, keep your current DUO student loan repayment decision open for reference.
- Identify the recent year that reflects the fall. For a 2026 request the official form compares 2025 or 2026 with 2024. Enter amounts according to the instructions, including any partner information requested. Keep your calculation so you can explain an estimate later.
- Supply the evidence requested. A borrower with foreign earnings may need proof from the relevant tax authority. If you cannot access Mijn DUO, use the income statement form for the repayment year. Residents of the Caribbean region should follow DUO’s regional instructions.
- Save the confirmation. When the decision arrives, read the income year, amount and effective month together. You can then update your household budget with the confirmed DUO student loan repayment and check the next scheduled collection against it.
Common mistakes after a pay cut
Cutting the monthly transfer yourself. A pending request does not defer an existing DUO student loan repayment. If you cannot meet the next collection, contact DUO promptly about that deadline. If it grants a retrospective reduction, DUO says it refunds the amount overpaid. DUO’s guidance on reduced instalments.
Expecting a matching percentage reduction. A 17.5% income fall does not promise a 17.5% decrease in your DUO student loan repayment. It tests one condition for changing the income year. DUO still calculates the payable amount under your repayment scheme and confirms its decision.
Confusing higher costs with lower taxable income. A rent rise can make the old instalment difficult to afford while leaving annual earnings unchanged. Explain the actual payment difficulty to DUO and ask which options apply. Using rent payments to reduce the taxable income figure would distort this application.
Pro tips for reading the decision
Check the partner details on the decision if your household changed. SF15-old borrowers may choose to exclude a partner’s income, but doing so pauses the running of the repayment period while the exclusion applies. Read the consequences before using that option to lower a DUO student loan repayment.
If the original Dutch tax figure was recorded incorrectly, contact the tax authority first about that figure. A correction to an inaccurate 2024 assessment and a genuine fall in 2026 earnings are different events. When asking for help, name the year, the figure in dispute and the document showing the difference.
FAQ
Can my DUO student loan repayment fall to zero?
It can if DUO’s income-based calculation results in a zero payable amount. Meeting the income-drop test alone does not establish that outcome. Check the decision for the months it covers and keep a copy, especially if earlier instalments were already overdue when you applied.
Can I apply if I work outside the Netherlands?
You can sign in to Mijn DUO with DigiD from abroad. DUO may require evidence of foreign earnings because it cannot always get those figures automatically. Check the instructions for your country and year, and use the relevant paper form if you cannot access the online service.
Which income should I use when I have two jobs?
Use the annual income measure DUO requests and account for both jobs. For an estimate, add pay already earned and the income you reasonably expect from each employer for the rest of the year. Check for holiday allowances or bonuses before submitting your figure.
Does an income change reduce last month’s payment automatically?
Wait for the decision specifying which months it covers. A request for reduced instalments during a year can take effect from the following month, and the rules depend on the request. Continue meeting the obligations in your existing notice unless DUO tells you otherwise.
Check the first revised collection
Put the old notice beside the new one and check what changed in your DUO student loan repayment. Record the revised amount and first applicable month. If the next collection disagrees, give DUO both decision dates and the amount withdrawn so it can trace the difference.
