Benefits agency's errors affect thousands of youths with disabilities
Serious mistakes in the processing of Wajong benefits for young people with disabilities and chronic illnesses have emerged, adding to the ongoing crisis at the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV). An investigation by EenVandaag and AD revealed that thousands of vulnerable youths may have received incorrect assessments for their disability benefits.
An internal UWV audit of 110 cases earlier this year found that only 58 percent of decisions were accurate. Ten percent were definitively incorrect, while the validity of the rest was unclear. “This is deeply concerning,” said a former UWV employee who reviewed the files. “With these kinds of numbers, alarm bells should be ringing across the organization.”
The Wajong benefit is intended for individuals who become disabled before the age of 18 and are unable to work. However, systemic issues have plagued the program for years. Internal reports dating back to 2015 highlighted major concerns, with one from 2017 describing the quality of decisions as “poor.” Recent findings confirmed that mistakes remain widespread, affecting payment amounts, durations, or eligibility altogether.
Advocates warn that these errors have severe consequences for a particularly vulnerable group. “It’s unacceptable,” said Mariëtte Patijn, a member of Parliament from GroenLinks-PvdA. “If you find such systemic flaws, you must act to correct them immediately.”
Government response lags
Minister Eddy van Hijum of Social Affairs and Employment has faced criticism for failing to disclose the scale of these issues. While acknowledging errors in WIA benefits earlier this year, Van Hijum reportedly downplayed similar problems in other programs, including Wajong. In an October letter to Parliament, references to Wajong mistakes appeared only in a footnote.
Van Hijum is expected to address Parliament later this week regarding the crisis at the UWV. His briefing will outline measures to rectify issues in Wajong assessments and other benefit programs. Critics argue that the agency’s focus on reducing processing times has come at the expense of decision accuracy, leaving thousands in precarious situations.
The UWV has pledged to investigate and improve its processes. However, former staff members and internal reports suggest the challenges are deeply entrenched. The agency’s Social Medical Centers, responsible for assessments, showed even lower accuracy rates than the national average.
