NOS | Jeroen van Eijndhoven
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 08:02
The number of disabled people continues to rise. In 2023, the UWV paid out 840,000 disability benefits, this year that number is expected to rise to 853,000.
In particular, the inflow into the WIA (Work and Income (Capacity for Work) Act) has increased every year since 2015. Last year, a record number of more than 60,000 people entered into this scheme.
People over 60 in particular become incapacitated for work
The increase is mainly caused by people aged 60 and over. Due to the increase in the state pension age, they also have to work longer, and they therefore also use disability benefits for longer.
Another reason for the higher influx is that in recent years thousands of people over 60 have entered the WIA much more easily because they have not received a medical examination from a doctor. This group is subject to a temporary emergency measure, because the UWV is still struggling with large backlogs in medical examinations.
In the first three quarters of this year, there were 3665 people in the WIA with long covid. Nearly three-quarters of them have been declared completely incapacitated for work. The UWV will later provide figures for the entire year.
What arrangements are there for disabled people?
Most people fall under the WIA (Work and Income (Capacity for Work) Act) and the Wajong (Disability Provisions Act for Young Disabled Persons). In total this concerns almost 700,00 people.
In addition, there are another 153,000 people in the WAO (Disability Insurance Act). That is an old arrangement, which no longer allows new people to join. The number of people on disability benefits continues to decline every year. The same applies to the Self-Employed Disability Insurance Act (WAZ), which currently covers around 5,000 people.
The backlogs in medical assessments are still a major problem. In 2022, the queue rose to an unprecedented 17,000 people. The UWV has increased the number of inspections in recent years, reducing the queue to approximately 13,000 last year.
The UWV must actually make a decision on an application for a WIA benefit within eight weeks, but that is now a maximum of 9 months. The UWV wants to reduce that period to 7 months this year.
In May last year, the Court of Audit concluded that the WIA is “impracticable” and on some points even “unlawful”. An independent committee is currently looking at how the disability system can be made simpler and better. The committee members will present their conclusions at the end of next month
2024-01-29 07:02:16
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