ROTTERDAM, 4 December 2025 – Rotterdam has launched a new online system for residents on social assistance, giving them clearer insight into their route towards work or participation. The Thomas DUP portal is intended to make benefit applications more transparent while keeping space for personal contact with work coaches.
New digital portal for social assistance
The municipality of Rotterdam is introducing Thomas DUP, an IT system and online portal that supports residents who receive social assistance (bijstand) and people following integration or training routes. Through the citizen portal on Mijn Loket, residents can now submit benefit applications digitally, manage their profile and view their personal plan at any time.
The system shows which agreements have been made, which steps still need to be taken and how far someone has progressed in their trajectory. Residents see the same information as their municipal contact person, which reduces uncertainty about status updates and is intended to give them more control over their own process.
Equal access to information
By bringing all information together in one place, the municipality wants to make it easier for Rotterdammers to follow their own case. The shared view of appointments, deadlines and actions means that both resident and work coach can refer to the same online plan during meetings or phone calls.
Income and benefit data are filled in automatically in many digital forms, for example when applying for basic social assistance, special assistance or income-related supplements. This should make applications faster and reduce the risk of mistakes, which is important for households that depend on timely payments.
Support for residents with low digital skills
Not every Rotterdammer is equally confident online. For residents with limited digital skills, the system allows authorised employees or trusted contacts to carry out certain actions on their behalf. This could involve a family member, counsellor or aid organisation that already supports the person in other areas.
The municipality stresses that Thomas DUP does not replace the work coach. Routine administrative tasks are automated as far as possible, so that staff have more time for conversations about work, health or other barriers that play a role in finding a job or suitable participation route.
Rotterdam develops the system further
With this portal, Rotterdam is among the first municipalities in the Netherlands to give job seekers and benefit recipients such detailed online insight into their trajectory. Residents can contact the municipality directly through the system, which should shorten response times and reduce the need for paper correspondence.
Alderman for work and income Tim Versnel describes the project as a step in the digital renewal of municipal services, while underlining the importance of human contact. He says the portal shows how technology can be used to make procedures more efficient, so staff can focus more on guidance instead of paperwork. The municipality will monitor usage and feedback and continue to develop Thomas DUP, so the system remains aligned with what Rotterdammers need in practice.
