Work and income: from the 3rd year of illness

In the second year of illness, you applied for a WIA benefit because you are unable to work or can work less, and consequently earn less. The WIA requires you to work to the best of your ability and to continue or start doing so. If this is not entirely possible, a WIA benefit can partially compensate for the loss of income.

Types of WIA benefits:

IVA benefit (Income Provision for the Fully Incapacitated)
For the fully incapacitated who are unlikely to be able to work anymore.

• You will receive the IVA benefit until the state pension age, unless your health situation improves.
• The IVA benefit is 75% of the (maximum) daily wage. With an IVA benefit, you may earn a maximum of 20% of your last earned wage in additional income.

WGA benefit (Return to Work for Partially Disabled Persons)
For partially disabled persons who can still work part-time, or for employees who are fully but not permanently disabled. This benefit is a supplement to your income.

• The WGA benefit is initially a WGA wage-related benefit. Depending on your employment history, this lasts for a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 24 months. After this period, you may receive a WGA wage supplement benefit or a WGA follow-up benefit.
• The benefit amount depends on your situation. The WGA benefit is 75% of the (maximum) daily wage for the first two months and 70% thereafter. There are also reintegration efforts and opportunities to earn extra income.

Who is involved in the WIA assessment?

• Insurance doctor
  The Insurance Doctor will have a conversation with you about your health, your complaints and limitations, and your ability to work. The doctor assesses whether your complaints are temporary or permanent, and what you can and cannot do.
• Employment expert (not for IVA)
  If the insurance doctor believes that you are still able to work, the occupational expert assesses what you can still do and how much you can earn. The occupational expert is unaware of your condition and does not have the extensive medical report from the insurance doctor. The occupational expert discusses your limitations and capabilities with you and assesses which suitable positions you can perform. The occupational expert also determines the degree of disability. He compares the salary of three suitable positions with the salary of the position from which you became incapacitated.
  You can find more information about the occupational expert in the Method

Tips for conversations between the insurance doctor and the occupational expert:

• Make a before your visit to the insurance doctor daily storyTake that into account for the assessment.
• Complete the insurance doctor's questionnaire in advance.
• Does the insurance doctor not know enough about the medical condition? Send medical information from your treating physician in advance or bring it with you.
• Write down your questions and note why working has not yet been successful.
• Think about your options before the conversation. And what is going well and what is not. Also think about your wishes and future plans.
• Bring someone with you to the meeting.

The WIA assessment is determined based on the interview with the insurance doctor and, if you are still able to work, the interview with the occupational expert. In principle, you will receive the WIA decision after 16 weeks. Currently, waiting times are longer than normal due to a shortage of insurance doctors. Should the UWV be late with the assessment, you can submit a 'notification of late decision'.

Practical assessment

Until July 1, 2027, the temporary measure 'Practical Assessment' applies to WIA assessments. The measure is intended to relieve the burden on insurance doctors and catch up on backlogs. During a practical assessment, the income from work you receive after two years of illness (104 weeks) is examined. The practical assessment replaces the theoretical estimate, in which an estimate is made of what you could theoretically still earn. In many cases, the outcome of the practical assessment results in a lower disability rating.
More information

 Simplified WIA assessment for those over 60

Are you ill for 104 weeks as of September 1, 2025, and 60 years of age or older? Then a simplified WIA assessment applies. If you and your employer agree, no assessment by the insurance doctor will take place. You will receive a WGA 80-100 benefit until the state pension age. The amount is 70% of the established (maximum) daily wage. The employer is not responsible for the costs, even if the employer is a self-insurer. However, the self-insurer remains liable for reintegration.

The WIA assessment can have different outcomes, based on your loss of wages:

• 35-80% disabled
  Does the assessment show that you can earn 65% or less of your previous salary? And are you able to work, now or in the future? Then you will receive a WGA benefit (Work Resumption Scheme for Partially Disabled Persons).
• 80-100% disabled
  Does the assessment show that you can earn 20% or less of your previous salary? Then you will also receive a WGA benefit.
  If it is ruled out that you can still improve in the future, you may be entitled to an IVA benefit (Income Insurance for the Fully Disabled).
• < 35% disabled
  Does the assessment show that you can earn more than 65% of your previous salary? Then you are not entitled to a WIA benefit.

Types of WGA benefit

The WGA has three consecutive benefit types. The core principle is that after two years of illness, you are still able to work (partially), but not enough to earn your previous salary. Which benefit you receive depends on your employment history, your remaining earning capacity, and whether you are currently working partially or are expected to be able to work again in the future.

1. Wage-related benefit (WGA)
   This benefit is the first phase of the WGA. The amount depends on what you earned before your illness, and the duration depends on how many years you have worked. The duration of the wage-related benefit is a minimum of 3 months and a maximum of 2 years, depending on employment history.
   More about wage-related benefits (UWV)
2. Wage supplement benefit (WGA-LAU)
   This benefit is for people who work enough after their wage-related benefit (disability class 80-100) or are expected to be able to work more. You receive this benefit if you earn at least half of what the UWV considers you capable of earning, or if you currently earn little but recovery is expected. The UWV assesses this every month, and the benefit can continue until your state pension age.
   More about wage supplement benefit (UWV)
3. Continuation benefit (WGA-VVU)
   You receive this benefit if you do not work enough to be entitled to the wage supplement benefit. The benefit is lower and amounts to a percentage of the minimum wage, depending on your degree of disability, not your previous salary.
   More about follow-up benefits (UWV)

PAWW benefit (supplementary via collective labor agreement)

Some employees receive a supplementary private PAWW benefit after the WGA wage-related phase or after the end of their unemployment benefit, depending on the collective labor agreement. There may also be a scheme comparable to the PAWW.
More information about SPAWW

Objection to WIA assessment

If you disagree with the UWV's decision regarding your incapacity for work or your entitlement to a WIA benefit, you can lodge an objection up to 6 weeks after the decision. Use support from your legal assistance insurance, trade union, Juridisch Loket, or another form of legal support.
Objection to decision | UWV

If the employer's continued payment of wages stops after two years of illness and you receive a WIA benefit, you are not yet no longer employed. You can choose to leave employment by means of a termination agreement. This includes, among other things: the reason for the dismissal, the payment of accrued vacation days and holiday pay, the notice period, and the transition payment.

The transition payment is calculated based on the number of years you have worked for your employer, whether in temporary or permanent employment. This is based on your monthly salary and amounts to 1/3 of the gross all-in monthly salary per year of service. The payment is made out net by your employer.

Tips

• Always have the termination agreement reviewed by a lawyer before you sign it. This can be done through your legal expenses insurance or through the trade union if you are a member. In some cases, a lawyer can review it via C-support.
• It is strongly advised against signing a termination agreement if you have been ill for less than two years, as you run a high risk of losing your WIA rights.

Leaving employment has significant financial consequences. See the section financesHere you will find information about income and what supplements may be available to you. You will also find information about the consequences for your pension.

Get help

Saying goodbye to work can be very difficult. It turns your life upside down and can evoke all kinds of feelings such as anger, sadness, and a sense of meaninglessness.

What can you do?

• Ensure you end your working life well.
• Discuss your feelings with family, friends, your GP, a GP practice nurse, a psychologist, or a social worker.
• Look for a new way of living and working that suits who you are now.
• Find a coach who can help you shape your life in a different way.
• You may be able to do volunteer work. Consult with the UWV about what is allowed.
• List the financial consequences for now and the future.
• Talk to others who are going through the same thing.

Tip: Webinar on living loss

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