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Dancers Retraining Scheme The Dancers Retraining Scheme was set up to provide a facility for dancers whose age and/or physical condition renders them unable to meet the requirements of a dance company to enable them to make a new start without immediately having to drop back to a minimum income. It operates by garanteeing a certain income during a transitional phase, or paying a one-off lump sum to a dancer who decides to settle abroad. It also provides an allowance towards study expenses if the dancer decides to study. And it can be used to subsidise the interest burden if an ex-dancer starts up in business. How does the scheme work? The scheme works like an insurance policy. This means that contributions have to be paid. They mount up to 2.5% of the gross salary. They can be paid in one of two ways:
Dancers can make use of the facility if they have been dancing for at least ten years and if they paid at least sixty contributions during those ten years. For dancers who have to stop dancing for medical reasons, the minimal requirement is that they have danced for eight years and have paid at least forty-eight contributions. What does the scheme offer? The scheme consists of the following facilities:
Combinations of these facilities are also possible. A common combination is a supplement to personal income plus an allowance towards study expenses. The combination of an allowance towards study expenses with a contribution towards interest is also possible. However, the total duration of the combined allowances may not exceed four years. In brief Around seven hundred dancers have joined the Retraining Scheme during the past ten years. These dancers have realised that every dance career inevitably comes to an end at some time. Thanks to the opportunities offered by the Retraining Scheme, these dancers are assured of a solid basis for a new career. More information? For more information contact the address below. 10 FAQ's The ten most common asked questions:
You can do this by using the Retraining Scheme application form, wich is available from:
How long am I entitled to supplement to my income? The right to a supplement to your income aplies during a period of the wage-related unemployment benefit and the first year of unemployment after that. Am I also entitled to my income if I do not receive unemployment benefit? Yes. You are entitled to a supplement if your earnings are less then the last salary received as a dancer. However, the supplement is never higher thanthe supplement that you would be paid if you were in receipt of unemployment benefit. The period in wich the supplement is paid is as long as entitlement to unemployment benefit would last. The same applies if you are in receipt of disablement insurance benefit. How much is the supplement to my income? The supplement is gradually reduced. This means that during the first six months after termination of employment your income is supplemented to 100% of your last salary. During  the next twelve
months it is supplemented to 85% of your last salary. During the final period
it is supplemented to 70% of your last salary.Am I allowed to work if Iam in receipt of a supplement to my income? During the period in wich you are in receipt of a supplement to your income you are not allowed to work as a dancer, wether voluntaraly or for payment, without the written permission of the board of the Retraining Scheme. You are allowed to engage in other kinds of work. Your income from this source must be declared to the Retraining Scheme administration and will be deducted from the supplement. Am I allowed to study if I am in receipt of a supplement to my income? Yes. It is precisely the aim of the Retraining Scheme to encourage dancers to study or retrain. However, it is not possible to study while you are in receipt of unemployment benefit without the permission of the government body concerned. If this is the case, you should contact Paul Bronkhorst, career advisor at the Theater Instituut Nederland. He is well informed about the possibilities in this area. How doe the Retraining Scheme allowance towards study expenses work? It is already possible to study during your career as a dancer. If a dancer meets the ten-year criterium and has paid sixty contributions, he or she is elgible for an allowance towards study expenses. Once a dancer has stopped dancing, he or she may start study or training within eighteen months of termination. Dancers should fill in the application form if they want to be considered for the allowance towards study expenses, including a motivation for the course to be followed. Once the board of the Retraining Scheme has agreed to the course to be followed, the expenses incured can be declared. Expenses incured are refunded up to a total of NLG 5,000 per annum for four years. What happens if I move abroad? Dancers who move abroad after terminating their dance career are entitled to a supplement to their income. In this case it is possible to obtain a one-off lump sum. You should apply for this allowance within three months of the termination of your dance career. The sum is equivalent to six times your last monthly salary. The requirements are that you have stopped dancing and that you intend to settle permanently abroad. If you do not meet these requirements, the allowance will be reclaimed. An allowance towards study expenses is also possible, on the same basis as if the dancer had remained in the Netherlands. Does the Retraining Scheme also contribute the cost of setting up your own business? If a dancer starts up his or her own business after completing a career as a dancer, the Retraining Scheme offers an allowance towards the interest due on loans that are taken out to set up the business. The maximum allowance is NLG 5,000 per annum over a period of four years. I want to stop dancing, but what can I do afterwards? This is a problem that very often occurs. It is usually difficult to leave a carreer as a dancer. Besides, dancers do not always know what their capacities are and what job opportunities there are. If you woul like advice on this score, please contact Paul Bronkhorst, career advisor for dancers, associated with the Theater Instituut Nederland. You'll find the address below. |