The next round of government support for freelancers will include an income check on partners, the Financieele Dagblad reported on Friday, quoting government sources.

The first three months of the Tozo ruling allowed freelancers to claim up to €1,500 a month if they had lost income because of the coronavirus crisis. Now it is clear that the crisis is lasting longer, the partner check is necessary to make sure that the scheme is restricted to freelancers who really need it, the sources said.

The government set aside €3.5bn for the first three months of the Tozo scheme and some 440,000 people have made a claim. The system is administered via local councils.

From next month, freelancers who want to make a claim will have to sign a declaration that their partner’s income is not enough to support them, the FD said. This will used by local council officials to carry out checks at a later date and reclaim payments which were wrongly made.

However, freelancers will not be subject to an asset check because of the logistical impact. People who claim basic welfare benefits, for example, first have to sell their house before they are entitled to make a claim.

Ministers are expected to discuss the plan later on Friday and make a formal announcement about the new rules next week, the FD said.