Disability benefits for employees

Disability benefits for employees can be paid under the Occupational Disability Act (WAO) and the Labour Capacity Act (WIA). 

Under the Occupational Disability Act (WAO), employees who lost their jobs due to disablement prior to 1 January 2004 are entitled to WAO benefits. Employees who fell ill on or after 1 January 2004 could no longer claim WAO benefits. Since 29 December 2005, they can apply for a WIA benefit. Under the WIA Act, employers are legally obliged to pay the wages of disabled employees for a period of two years. The WAO still applies to people who already received benefits under the WAO Act and to people who became disabled within five years after their WAO benefits were terminated, provided that the cause of their disability is the same.

On 29 December 2005, the Labour Capacity Act (WIA) came into effect. The WIA includes two schemes:
• the scheme Income Provisions for Completely Disabled (IVA) 
• the scheme Work Resumption Partially Disabled (WGA).

This article solely deals with disability benefits for employees. Disability benefits for self-employed (WAZ scheme) and benefits for young disabled (Wajong scheme) are not taken into account.