Available funds

A calculation of available funds will be made based on your income and expenses for the payment scheme of the debt adjustment. Your available funds are the amount of money you have at your disposal for repaying your debts each month during the debt adjustment.

Your net income, expenses approved for a debt adjustment and any foreseeable changes that are known to you when you apply for a debt adjustment will be taken into account when calculating your available funds. Getting a salary raise, retiring, a child starting studies or a child turning of legal age are examples of such changes.

Income

  • Your net income is considered as your income. If your monthly income varies, your average annual income may be used.
  • Unemployment allowance is included in your income for 21.5 days per month.
  • Child allowance for single parents and social assistance are not included in your income.
  • Your spouse’s income is considered in the calculation of available funds since it may impact the amount of your available funds. In the calculation of available income, the expenses of a cohabiting couple are considered to be divided in half and the expenses of a married couple are divided proportionally according to the net income of each spouse.

Expenses

  • The amount of necessary living expenses is fixed. The size of your family affects the amount of necessary living expenses. Among others, food, clothing, a phone, internet access, hobbies, a car and personal insurance premiums are considered necessary living expenses.
  • The Ministry of Justice annually confirms the amounts of necessary living expenses, which are the following as of 1 January 2026:
    • EUR 719 for a debtor living alone or who is a single parent
    • EUR 605 for a cohabiting or married debtor, or a debtor that lives with another adult
    • EUR 464 per person for the two oldest children living with a debtor who are under 17 years old, and EUR 433 per person for the third oldest child and any subsequent younger children
    • EUR 510 for a child 17 or more years old living with the debtor
  • Other expenses that are considered include housing expenses, commuting expenses, healthcare expenses, child support payments, expenses incurred by non-custodial parents in maintaining contact to their child, and day care expenses.

Living expenses and other eligible expenses are deducted from your net income. The remaining amount is considered to be your available funds. The amount of your available funds is the amount that you will pay to your creditors each month during the payment scheme.

If the amount of your available funds is negative, i.e. no funds are available, a court can confirm a ‘zero scheme’ for you. With a zero scheme, you are not liable to make any monthly payments.
If, for example, your net income increases or you receive an inheritance during your payment scheme you may be subject to an additional payment obligation.

The financial and debt counsellors will assist you in calculating the amount of your available funds and the additional payment.

Example 1

The debtor living alone receives EUR 1,600 in net wages each month from which the following monthly expenses are deducted:

– Rent EUR 660
– Electricity EUR 30
– Home insurance EUR 10
– Healthcare EUR 100
– Necessary living expenses EUR 719

= The debtor’s available funds are EUR 81 per month.

Example 2

A cohabiting couple where only one spouse applies for debt adjustment.

In the calculation of available funds, the fixed living expenses and housing expenses of a cohabiting couple are halved. The example couple’s rent is EUR 800, electricity costs EUR 40 and home insurance premium is EUR 10.

The applicant’s available funds are calculated as follows:

Unemployment allowance EUR 640.01 with the following applicant’s shares deducted

– Rent EUR 400
– Electricity EUR 20
– Home insurance EUR 5
– Necessary living expenses EUR 605

= The amount of available funds is negative, EUR -389.99. The applicant has no available funds.

When the amount of available funds is negative, the applicant may be granted a ‘zero scheme’.

If the couple were married, the expenses would be divided in proportion to their individual net incomes. The monthly income of the applicant’s spouse is EUR 1,500, in which case the applicant’s share of the joint expenses would be 28.35%.

Example 3

The debtor is cohabiting and has one underaged child. The debtor applies for the debt adjustment alone. The applicant’s net income is EUR 2,500 per month.

In the calculation of available funds, the necessary living expenses and housing expenses of a cohabiting couple are halved.

First, the child benefit of EUR 94.88 is deducted from the child’s living expenses of EUR 464. Of the EUR 369.12 remaining, the share corresponding to the share of the applicant’s net income is considered as the applicant’s expense. The applicant’s cohabiting partner’s monthly income is EUR 1,800, which means the applicant’s share of the child’s living expenses is 58.14% or EUR 214.60.

The example family’s rent is EUR 1,000, electricity costs EUR 80 and home insurance premium is EUR 10 per month.

The applicant’s available funds are calculated as follows:

Applicant’s net income EUR 2,500 with the following applicant’s shares deducted

– Rent EUR 500
– Electricity EUR 40
– Home insurance EUR 5
– Necessary living expenses EUR 605
– Child’s living expenses EUR 214.60

= The applicant has EUR 1,135.40 in available funds.

If the couple was married, the expenses would be divided in proportion to their individual net incomes, in which case the applicant’s share of the joint expenses would be 58.14%.