WIA in brief: what it means for you as an employee

The Work and Income (Capacity for Work) Act (wet Werk en Inkomen naar Arbeidsvermogen) is a statutory scheme from the government. The WIA is for employees who are not (fully) able to work after 2 years of disability.

UWV assesses how much you are still able to work and earn. If you are 35% or more disabled for work, you may be entitled to a WIA benefit from UWV.

Your employer can take out disability insurance for you. Disability insurance provides a supplement to your statutory WIA benefit. There are 2 types of statutory WIA benefits (from UWV):

1. WGA benefit.
   You receive a WGA benefit if you are still able to work, but can only earn 65% or less of your old wage. This is called your residual earning capacity. WGA is the Return to Work (Partially or temporarily Disabled Persons) Scheme (Werkhervatting Gedeeltelijk Arbeidsongeschikten).
2. IVA benefit.
   ​IVA benefit. If it is unlikely that you will be able to work again, you will receive an IVA benefit. IVA is the Fully Disabled Persons Income Scheme (Inkomensvoorziening Volledig Arbeidsongeschikten).
   

If you are less than 35% disabled, you are not eligible for a WIA benefit. However, you might still have symptoms or limitations that prevent you from doing your job the way you used to. Your employer can take out insurance for you to absorb any loss of income: Disability Compensation (WIA-Compensatieverzekering).

Illness shorter than 2 years 

In the first 2 years of absence due to an accident or illness, you will work with your employer and the occupational health and safety service to try to return to work as soon as possible. This is required by law. We have designed a roadmap to help you with that. 

Your employer will continue to pay some or all of your wages for the first 2 years if you cooperate in your recovery.

If you are unable to return to full employment within 2 years due to disability, you will be eligible for a WIA benefit

Illness longer than 2 years

If you have not fully returned to work after nearly 2 years, you will undergo an examination by the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV). UWV will determine what you can still do and how much you can earn. This is how UWV determines the percentage of your disability—your disability rating. The WIA provides a (temporary) supplement to your wages. If UWV determines that you have a disability rating of 35% or more, you will receive this from them. For more information about the UWV examination and benefits, visit the UWV website.

UWV benefits do not always bring your income to the level you were accustomed to. The Metalektro WIA insurance package supplements your income. To determine your eligibility for compensation, we look at what you had insured on the first day of illness. The compensation you receive from Metalektro WIA also depends on your disability rating. This is also how UWV calculates benefits. Calculate your income with our WIA calculator.

If you became ill before 1 January 2004 and have not fully returned to work fully since that time, you receive a WAO benefit ((previous) law for disability insurance, Wet op de arbeidsongeschiktheidsverzekering) from UWV. You are not eligible for additional insurance if you receive a WAO benefit.