ANPMinister Van Hijum
NOS News•yesterday, 14:43•Modified yesterday, 18:01
It is not impossible that people who received too high a WIA benefit due to an error by the UWV will have to pay back that money. Minister Van Hijum of Social Affairs (NSC) says that this is not yet clear.
“The starting point is always that an excessive benefit must be repaid. But it is also taken into account that this situation has arisen due to the government’s fault,” says Van Hijum. “The fact that these people are now in uncertainty makes the situation even more serious.”
Yesterday it was announced that possibly tens of thousands of WIA benefit recipients received too high or too low a benefit, due to incorrect calculations by the benefits agency. Van Hijum: “I don’t know exactly what amounts are involved, but it could be hundreds of euros.” People with too low a benefit will be fully compensated.
Earlier, the UWV stated that people do not have to pay back in principle if it is a mistake by the UWV. But the agency also stated that extra attention is paid to people who could have known that they were getting too much money. The following text can be found on the UWV website:
NOSThe text about repayment on uwv.nl, September 5, 2024 2:30 PM
Later, the UWV adjusted the text on the site. It added: “unless it should reasonably have been clear to you that you received too much benefit.” What that means for the group of people who received too much benefit is not yet clear.
WIA: Work and Income (Capacity for Work) Act
People who have been ill for more than two years are entitled to a WIA benefit, the successor to the WAO. There are two WIA benefits: the IVA benefit for people who are partially or fully disabled and for whom recovery in the future is almost impossible, and the WGA benefit if there is still a chance of recovery. A doctor and an occupational expert from the UWV determine who is eligible by means of a medical examination.
Van Hijum wants the UWV to resolve the error itself as quickly as possible. He is not considering an ‘external’ solution because the agency has the legal duty to provide these benefits. He also wants to know how it could have gotten this far and the UWV must make an ‘improvement plan’.
Trade union FNV vice-chair Kitty Jong spoke today in the NOS Radio 1 Journal of “a total disaster.” She compares the consequences with the benefits scandal. The UWV itself said yesterday that it is “painful that we make mistakes”, but also that the benefits agency has been under pressure for years because of the increasing number of WIA benefits.
The UWV received around 3,000 phone calls on Thursday from people who had questions about their benefits. They wanted to know whether mistakes had been made with their disability benefits or clarification about what exactly was going on. They also wanted to know what would happen if they had received too much or too little benefits.
According to the UWV, employees were able to handle the extra callers well. “We literally get thousands of calls every day. But today was a significant increase, we were prepared for that,” a spokesperson told news agency ANP.
