Zorgtoeslag with a part-time job — how does it actually work?

Hi everyone! A colleague told me I might have a right to zorgtoeslag (healthcare allowance) because I work part-time and my income is not high. I pay for my Dutch health insurance every month, and honestly it is a big part of my budget, so this would really help.

I looked at belastingdienst.nl and for 2026 the income limit is €40,857 per year if you are single. My income is well below that. But I still have questions:

• Do they look at your income for the whole year? My hours change sometimes, so I don't know my exact yearly income in advance.
• What happens if I earn more than I estimated? I read that you can be asked to pay money back later, and that scares me a little. How do you avoid this?
• Can I still apply now, in the middle of the year, or should I have done it in January?
• Is applying through Mijn Toeslagen with DigiD straightforward, or is there a paper form too?

If someone here already receives it, I would love to hear how it went. Did the amount match what the proefberekening (test calculation) showed? Thank you!