Applying for a benefit under the Work and Income according to Labour Capacity Act (WIA)
If you have been ill for nearly two years and you can only earn 65% of your previous salary or less because of your illness, you may be eligible for a WIA benefit. You will receive the WIA benefit instead of the wages you currently receive from your employer, or instead of your sickness benefit.
Last updated on 17 August 2021
Eligibility for a WIA benefit
To be eligible for a WIA benefit, you must meet certain conditions. For example, you must have tried to get work in the past two years. Please consult the UWV website to find out about eligibility for a WIA benefit.
WIA: return-to-work (WGA) benefit or full-invalidity (IVA) benefit
There are 2 WIA benefit payments: the return-to-work (WGA) benefit and the full-invalidity (IVA) benefit. The type of WIA benefit you will receive depends on how much you are still able to work.
- WGA stands for: ‘Werkhervatting Gedeeltelijk Arbeidsgeschikten’ (Return-to-Work Scheme for the Partially Disabled). You may be eligible for the return-to-work (WGA) benefit if you have been ill for 2 years or more and are able to work (in the future).
- IVA stands for: ‘Inkomensvoorziening Volledig Arbeidsongeschikten’ (Income Provision Scheme for Fully Occupationally Disabled People). You may receive full-invalidity (IVA) benefit if you are unable or hardly able to work and there is very little chance that you will recover.
Applying for a benefit under the Work and Income according to Labour Capacity Act (WIA)
Please contact the UWV if you want to apply for a WIA benefit.
Laws and regulations (in Dutch)
Wet werk en inkomen naar arbeidsvermogen