Just over 500,000 freelancers and self-employed people received government help because they had lost work during the coronavirus crisis last year, according to national statistics agency CBS.

Most support under the Tozo ruling went to hairdressers, beauticians and people working in the hospitality sector who were all hit by the lockdown, the CBS said.

Almost a quarter of Tozo claimants lived in one of the big four Dutch cities, with Amsterdam accounting for 7.8% of the total.

The Tozo ruling, and others set up to help companies through the crisis, ended on October 1.