Netherlands - Invalidity benefits
You can read here about invalidity benefits in the Netherlands. Within the invalidity scheme (the WIA-scheme), a distinction is made between full and permanent disability (IVA-benefit) and partial disability (WGA-benefit).
In what situation can I claim?
If you become unable to work due to invalidity, your employer will pay at least 70% of your income up to a maximum of 104 weeks. If you no longer have an employer but are covered by the scheme of employee insurances, the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) pays the sickness benefit (on the basis of the Sickness Benefits Act). After 104 weeks of illness, you may be eligible for a WIA-benefit, which is the invalidity benefit.
WIA is the Dutch abbreviation for the Act on Work and Income according to Work Capacity. The WIA-benefit is the benefit you receive if, due to illness or disability, you cannot work or earn less than your previous income from work.
The WIA encompasses the return-to-work benefit for partially disabled people (Werkhervatting Gedeeltelijk Arbeidsgeschikten, WGA) and the income provision benefit for fully work-incapacitated people (Inkomensvoorziening Volledig Arbeidsongeschikten, IVA) benefit. The type of WIA benefit you will receive depends on how much you are still able to work. You may be eligible for the
- return-to-work (WGA) benefit if you have been ill for two years or more and are able to work in the future.
- benefit for income provision for fully work-incapacitated people (IVA) if you are unable to work and there is very little chance that this will change.
Self-employed
If you are self-employed, you can take out a private insurance to cover the risk of incapacity for work.
Young disabled persons
Young disabled people who reach the age of 18 and do not have any working capacity, and are not able to develop any working capacity in the long term may be entitled to cash benefits (Wajong) if they reside in the Netherlands legally.
Additionally, young disabled people who become ill / disabled before their 30th birthday and consequently have no working capacity and are not able to develop working capacity in the future can apply for Wajong benefit if they had been studying for at least six months in the year before becoming disabled or ill.
Industrial accidents and occupational diseases
There is no separate legislation for industrial accidents and occupational diseases in the Netherlands. In these cases you are entitled to receive your wage by your employer for the first 104 weeks or by payment of sickness benefits in cash according to the Sickness Benefits Act in case your contract has legally ended. After the period of 104 weeks you may be entitled to benefits in cash according to the Work and Income Act (WIA).
Furthermore, workers can sue their employer in the civil court and claim additional financial compensation to compensate for the damage.
What conditions do I need to meet?
Complete incapacity for work (IVA)
If you are completely incapacitated for work due to illness or disability (at least 80%) and have no or only a slight chance of recovery, you may be entitled to an IVA benefit after two years of sickness.
Partial incapacity for work (WGA)
If you are temporarily or partially incapacitated for work due to illness or invalidity (at least 35%) and you have an employer, you could receive a WGA-benefit after two years.
If you are less than 35% incapacitated for work, you have no right to invalidity benefit, but you can apply for an unemployment benefit.
Young people with an illness/disability (Wajong)
You are entitled to a Wajong-benefit in cash if you are living legally in the Netherlands and you lack any long-term labour capacity on your 18th birthday due to sickness or impairment. You may also be entitled to a Wajong- benefit in cash if you are living in the Netherlands and become disabled after your 18th birthday and before your 30th birthday and had studied for at least 6 months in the year before you became disabled.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
Complete incapacity for work (IVA)
The IVA-benefit is 75% of the daily wage. The daily wage is based on the earned salary in the year prior to the starting date of the illness with a maximum of EUR 256.54 per day.
Partial incapacity for work (WGA)
The WGA benefit you receive depends on how much you still can work, and on how much you still work in practice.
There are three kinds of WGA-benefit:
- pay-related;
- pay-supplementary;
- follow-up benefit.
You can receive a pay-related benefit under the following conditions:
- due to illness, you can only earn less than 65% of your old income;
- you had worked for 26 of the last 36 weeks before you became ill.
If you also worked in another Member State in this period, this period of work counts as if you had performed it in the Netherlands when determining your right to pay-related work incapacity benefit.
The duration of the pay-related benefit may be extended to a maximum of 24 months. The duration depends on the number of calendar years that you worked in the period prior to the year in which you became ill. Periods of work in another Member State are counted when determining the duration.
If you are not working, you have the right to 75% of your last pay during the first 2 months and 70% of the last pay thereafter with a maximum of EUR 256.54 per day.
If you do not work when the pay-related benefit ends, or you earn less than 50% of the remaining work capacity, you will receive a wage supplement benefit or a follow-up benefit. See WIA. If you earn more than 50%, you will receive a pay-supplementary benefit.
If your daily income is less than the minimum income (sociaal minimum), you may be entitled to a supplement based on the Supplementary Benefits Act (Toeslagenwet).
When and how to apply for an invalidity benefit?
You may qualify for invalidity benefit if your sickness benefit has expired or the statutory continued payment of wages by the employer has ended. You must apply for invalidity benefit no later than in the 93rd week of your illness to prevent loss of income. After 88 weeks of illness, UWV will send you a letter informing you about this.
To apply for a WIA benefit, you will need to complete the online WIA application form and send it to UWV. You will need a DigiD account to do this. If you do not have a DigiD account, please arrange this via digid.nl
If you have an employer and are applying for a WIA benefit, you will need to submit the following documents along with your online application form:
- your medical information from the company doctor
- your return-to-work report (a set of documents drawn up by your employer or the occupational health and safety service about your return-to-work trajectory)
Your employer can send the return-to-work report to UWV digitally. If you send the report, you will need to do so by post.
Young people with an illness/disability (Wajong)
The Wajong-benefit for young people with an illness/disability provides an income which is maximum 75% (indicative Wajong-benefit calculator) of the minimum wage.
If your daily income is less than the minimum income (sociaal minimum), you may be entitled to a supplement based on the Supplementary Benefits Act (Toeslagenwet).
To be eligible for the Wajong benefit, you must not be in education and you must be considered as work-incapacitated by the UWV.
Jargon busters
- Act on Work and Income according to Work Capacity (Wet werk en inkomen naar arbeidsvermogen, WIA): covers all employees who as a result of illness or disability are not able to earn 65% of their last income by working. The Act on Work and Income according to Work Capacity encompasses two schemes: Return to Work (Partially Disabled Persons) scheme and the Full Invalidity Benefit Regulation.
- Full Invalidity Benefit Regulation (Inkomensvoorziening volledig arbeidsongeschikten, IVA): provides an income for those who are completely and permanently incapacitated for work or have only a slight chance of recovery.
- Return to Work (Partially Disabled Persons) Act (Werkhervatting gedeeltelijk arbeidsgeschikten, WGA): programme to return the partially disabled to work.
- Young Disabled Persons Act (Wet arbeidsongeschiktheidsvoorziening jonggehandicapten, Wajong): scheme for people who have a long-term illness or handicap at their 18th birthday or after their 18th birthday and before they turn 30 during their study. This benefit can continue till the pensionable age.
- Employee Insurance Agency (Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen, UWV): a Dutch welfare agency that is responsible for implementing the employee insurance schemes (unemployment, illness, incapacity for work).
- Supplementary Benefits Act (Toeslagenwet): a Dutch law that is implemented by UWV. The supplement based on this Act increases income of benefit recipients in certain cases to the level of the social minimum.
Forms you may need to fill in
Know your rights
The rights you have are described on the websites below (these are not European Commission websites and do not represent the EC standpoint:
European Commission publication and website:
Who do you need to contact?
When you become ill, you must report this to your employer as soon as possible.
Wajong, WIA and IVA: contact UWV.
If you are self-employed, you may take out a voluntary insurance for the risk of incapacity for work due to illness. For more information, please see:
If you are seeking advice or help with your EU rights, please apply for help from the EU.