When to apply for WIA?
You apply for WIA if you have been sick for 2 years. If you become sick, you receive ‘Ziektewet uitkering’ (sickness benefit) for the first 2 years. Normally your employer will pay the first 2 years of sickness.
After 2 years of sickness, you can apply for WIA benefit at the UWV. You will receive a letter from the UWV in advance stating that you can apply for WIA. This letter will be sent by the UWV after 88 weeks of sickness. It is important that you apply for the WIA benefit at the UWV in time. This ensures that you are without income for as short as possible.
How do you apply for a WIA benefit?
How you can apply for a WIA benefit from the UWV is explained step by step below. If you still have an employer, it is important that you receive the following documents from the employer and company doctor (arbo-arts).
Company doctor (arbo-arts) documents
• problem analysis (probleemanalyse): completed by the company doctor when you were sick for 6 weeks)
• current opinion (actueel oordeel) of the company doctor or health and safety service (arbodienst): was given by the company doctor when you were sick for almost 2 years
Employer documents
• action plan (plan van aanpak): drawn up by employer in case of 8 weeks of sickness
• first year evaluation (1e jaars evaluatie): may have already been completed several times by the employer
• Final evaluation (eindevaluatie): completed by employer for 1 year and 9 months of sickness.
What do you need to apply for WIA?
You can register with the UWV by applying for a WIA benefit at the UWV. To apply for WIA benefit from the UWV you need:
• bsn nummer (citizen service number)
• DiGiD code
• European recognized login method
• account number
• the date you became sick.
What it means and how you do this is explained step by step below.
Apply for a citizen service number (BSN)
Firstly, you need a citizen service number to apply for a WIA benefit. You will automatically receive a citizen service number when you are registered with the ‘Basisregistratie Personen’ (Municipal Personal Records Database).
If you come to the Netherlands to work for less than 4 months, you can register as a ‘niet ingezetene‘ (non-resident). There are 19 communities that have a counter for this and where you can request a temporary BSN number for free.
Request DIGID
A DiGiD application is required for the application WIA benefit. You need a DiGiD code to log in via the UWV website. You need the DiGiD code to be able to identify yourself on the internet at government agencies. You do not only need a DiGiD code to apply for a UWV benefit, but also:
• for completing a ‘belastinaangifte’(tax return) with the ‘Belastingdienst’ (tax authorities)
• applying for a new identity card, passport or permit from the ‘gemeente’(community)
• arrange ‘toeslagen’(allowance and benefits) such as ‘huurtoeslag’(housing benefit) or ‘zorgtoeslag’(healthcare benefit)
• ‘zorgdeclaraties’(care claims) if with your health insurance
• view your own medical file.
A DiGiD code ensures that you can arrange your affairs online with various government agencies. As a result, all information is stored in 1 central place.
Go to the website https://digid.nl to request the DiGiD code. Make sure you have your citizen service number (former social security number) and date of birth at hand. Also enter your email address and telephone number. You cannot request a DiGiD code without that information.
After entering the data, a personal account will be created for you. You will receive a unique username and password. The username and password are always sent by post so that you are the only one who has that information. It is wise to keep the data safe. This creates a personal account, with a username and password. You will receive this information by post at home, so that only you have access to it. Always keep your data in a safe place.
Log in DIGID
You now have a username and password. You change this into a custom username and password. So, keep your username and password in a safe place. You can now arrange affairs online with government agencies with your DiGiD.
In this case, to request your WIA benefit from the UWV, go to https://digid.nl/inloggen.
This is a secure environment (note the black lock icon at the top left which represents the link with the name of the website). Enter your username and password. As extra security, you may be asked to send an SMS code to your mobile phone. After you have entered the SMS code you can log in via DiGiD.
You can also install the DiGiD app to log in easily with DiGiD. It differs per government agency which additional security steps are taken to log in.
European recognized login method
Third, there is the option to log in with a European recognized login method. If you are an EU citizen but you cannot apply for a DiGiD, there is the option to log in with a European recognized login method. This is an electronic identification. Check the link above to see which countries use this option.
Apply for WIA application online
You can apply for the WIA online by logging in to uwv.nl. To be able to fill out all forms for the WIA application, you need the following information:
• bsn number (citizen number)
• DiGiD code
• details of employers where you have worked in the past 5 years
• information about training and courses you have followed
• your account number.
• the date you became sick.
Log in ‘mijn uwv’ (myuwv)
Apply for WIA benefit online via UWV log in
You can use ‘mijn uwv’ (my uwv) to log in to the uwv website with your DiGiD code or EU recognized login method. To request a WIA benefit from the UWV, log in to the uwv website. Click on the button ‘mijn uwv’ (my uwv). Go to the button ‘mijnuwv’ (my uwv) login and log in with your username and password that belong to your DiGiD code. You will now see digital forms via the UWV website that you can fill out online.
You can now send the WIA request online. Send the ‘medische informatie’ (medical information) form by post 1 day after you have submitted the WIA application online. If you still have an employer, you will send these documents of the reintegration report yourself online. Unless you do not want this, you can also add the employer’s documents to the ‘medische informatie’ (medical information) form. Send the documents by post to the UWV at the address indicated.
Confirmation of receipt (ontvangstbevestiging) of WIA benefit application
As soon as the UWV has received the WIA application you will receive a confirmation of receipt. If the UWV needs additional information, the UWV will contact you.
Invitation to consultation with WIA benefit insurance doctor (verzekeringsarts)
You will receive an invitation letter from the UWV 4 to 6 weeks after you have submitted the WIA application. The letter states when and with which insurance doctor you have an appointment. This insurance doctor will decide whether you receive a WIA benefit or not.
Consultation hours with the WIA benefit insurance doctor (verzekeringsarts)
In addition to your complaints, the insurance doctor will check whether there are opportunities to work. The insurance doctor does not look so much at your limitations but at your options and possibilities to work. In short, what can you still do despite your complaints? What problems do you run into in daily life? Finally, the doctor will check whether you have temporary, long-term or permanent complaints.
Consultation hours with the WIA labor expert (arbeidsdeskundige)
If the insurance doctor has the opinion that you still have opportunities to work, you will receive an invitation from the labor expert. The labor expert will work with you to see what kind of work you can do and what you could earn with it. The UWV labor expert makes a calculation to see whether you can earn 65% or less of your old salary. If this is the case, you may receive a WIA benefit.
UWV decision whether or not you may receive a WIA benefit
A decision will be taken by the UWV 8 weeks after the WIA application. If you receive a WIA benefit, the letter will state which WIA benefit you receive. This can be a WGA benefit if you are partially or temporarily not able to work. Because in other cases it is also possible that you can no longer work at all, there is the IVA benefit.
Reintegration possibilities during WIA benefit
If the insurance doctor (verzekeringsarts) and the labor expert (arbeidsdeskundige) think that you can work in the future, agreements will be recorded in a work plan. These agreements are sent by post and can also be consulted in the ‘werkmap’ (work folder) of the UWV.
UWV ‘werkmap’ (work folder)
You can log in to the uwv ‘werkmap’ (work folder) via ‘mijnuwv’ werkmap (work folder) on werk.nl. Here you can log in with your DiGiD code. In the ‘werkmap’ (work folder) you can:
• view the agreements made in the work plan
• receive messages and send them to the UWV
• search for vacancies
• Prepare your CV
• follow online (application) training courses
• pass on application activities if this has been agreed.
UWV contact
You can have contact via the ‘werkmap’ (workbook) as well as by telephone. The letter contains contact details of the UWV.
Call the UWV
You can call the uwv by calling the uwv telephone. The uwv telephone number is:
Private: 088-8989294
Employers: 088-8989295
Business relations: 088-8982010
You will then be spoken to by an employee of the UWV customer contact center. Or you will receive a direct telephone number from a UWV department that you can call. This telephone number is stated in the letter from the UWV.
Summary Apply for WIA
Collect documents from company doctor and employer. You need this to send with the WIA application.
• Collect your own data. You need a bsn number (citizen number), DiGiD code, recognized European login, account number and date you became sick. How to apply for a DiGiD code and European recognition login method is discussed step by step.
• Apply for WIA benefit online. Apply for your WIA online with your DiGiD code or European recognized login method. On the website of the UWV you can log in via ‘mijnuwv’ (myuwv) using a DiGiD code or European recognized login method.
• Invitation letter from UWV. The UWV invites you for a meeting with the insurance doctor within 4-6 weeks after you have sent the WIA application online.
• Consultation hour for insurance doctor and labor expert. Here it is checked whether there are still opportunities to work. If so, you will also receive an invitation to visit the ‘arbeidsdeskundige’ (labor expert) for a consultation. He looks at what work you can do and what you can earn with it. It is important here whether you can earn 65% of your old salary with this. If so, there may be a right to WIA benefit.
• Decision WIA benefit. A decision will be made 8 weeks after you have sent the WIA application online. You will be informed in writing whether or not you receive a WIA benefit. If you receive a WIA benefit, it also states whether you will receive a WGA or IVA benefit.
• To confirm an appointment. All agreements related to future reintegration are recorded as a work plan. The work plan can be consulted at werk.nl. At werk.nl you can send and receive messages from the UWV. Online training courses and searching for vacancies are also possible.