Benefits agency reserves €100 million for correcting mistakes with disability benefits
The UWV expects the correction of errors surrounding the disability benefits (WIA) to cost tens of millions of euros, the benefits agency said in its annual report. The agency has set aside 111 million euros for the recovery operation.
The UWV expects compensation to people with a WIA benefit to cost between 34 and 100 million euros. The additional manpower required for the recovery operation will also cost an estimated 58 million euros.
In September last year, it became known that the UWV had made errors in determining the disability benefits of tens of thousands of people, resulting in many receiving less than they were entitled to. The agency hasn’t calculated the correct amounts yet, so the compensation amounts mentioned are still just estimates.
The annual report also showed that the UWV spent 25 million euros on penalties last year for taking too long to decide on benefit applications. A year earlier, this was still 18 million euros.
The agency said that it cannot handle the number of applications, and waiting times are unlikely to decrease this year. “For 2025, our aim is not to let the waiting times increase any further. However, this will be an almost impossible task because the capacity is also limited in 2025, and we also need capacity for the corrective action,” the UWV said.
