If you have an employer, we will review the return-to-work report submitted with your application. The main aim of this review is to ensure you and your employer have done enough to support your return to work. If your efforts meet our requirements, you will be invited to a medical assessment with an UWV physician (‘verzekeringsarts’). 

If you are receiving a sickness benefit, we will skip the review as we guided you through the return-to-work process ourselves. Instead, you will proceed directly to the medical assessment.

You can expect the UWV physician to ask you questions about your physical and mental health. This will help them understand how your health issues are affecting your ability to work. You might also have to have a physical check-up as part of the assessment. 

If the physician thinks you have some capacity to work, you will be invited to a meeting with an occupational disability employment counsellor (‘arbeidsdeskundige’). If, however, the physician concludes you will not be able to work at all, both now or in the future, you will skip this meeting and most likely be entitled to a WIA benefit.

In this meeting, the counsellor will look at the type of work you can do, based on your education, your work experience and your capacity for work as assessed by the UWV physician. The counsellor will then try to establish whether the work you are suited to will earn you 65% or less of your previous salary. If this is the case, you will qualify for a WIA benefit.