This is what is called a WIA assessment. This gives people certainty about whether they are entitled to a disability benefit. Because of the backlog, the waiting list for such a medical and social assessment has grown exponentially.

Thousands are waiting

At the end of 2021, about 12,000 people were still waiting for such an assessment. It now affects more than 17,000 people, the UWV reports today. Because of the fines payments, the UWV had to pay waiters €10.6 million last year.

“We are working diligently with the Minister on measures to reduce this backlog,” says Martin Camps, President of the UWV. According to him, the waiting list has not increased in any way in recent months, but he acknowledges the need for more measures.

Retired doctors

The problem is that UWV has very little capacity for all ratings. For example, the number of insurance doctors fell further last year from 565 to 525. Experienced doctors retired and younger colleagues returned, who often still had to be trained and were less productive.

As a result, only 124,200 assessments were possible last year. This is more than 14 percent lower than the previous year.

“I don’t feel well served”

The camps acknowledge that there are people who “didn’t feel well served” by the UWV. In total, more than 1.1 million people receive benefits from the UWV each month.