In most cases your employer will continue to pay your salary for the first 2 years (104 weeks) of your illness. Your employer must report you as sick to us once you have been ill for 42 weeks. If your employment contract ends while you are ill, your employer no longer has to pay your wages and you might qualify for a sickness benefit.

If you became ill within 4 weeks of your contract ending, you might be entitled to a sickness benefit. Report sick via the UWV employee helpline, no later than the 2nd day of illness.

If you are receiving an unemployment benefit and become ill, you might be entitled to a sickness benefit. You must report yourself sick via Mijn UWV.

If your unemployment benefit has ended and you become ill within 4 weeks of it ending, report yourself sick via Mijn UWV. You might be entitled to a sickness benefit if the following applies: 

• your unemployment benefit ended because it reached its maximum duration 
• you have not applied for another UWV benefit 
• you have not found work

Report your illness to the employment agency as soon as possible. If you have an employment agency contract (‘uitzendovereenkomst’) your wages will continue to be paid as long as your contract continues. If you are still ill when your contract ends, you might be entitled to a sickness benefit. If this is the case, the employment agency must apply for the benefit on your behalf.

Report your illness to your employer, no later than the 2nd day of illness. It will depend on your contract and the length of time you are off sick as to whether you are entitled to continue receiving a salary, or whether you might qualify for a sickness benefit.

If you become ill while receiving an occupational disability benefit, your benefit will continue. Whether you will qualify for a sickness benefit as well will depend on whether you are working or not: 

• If you are not working and you become ill while receiving an occupational disability benefit you will not be entitled to a sickness benefit too.
• If you are working and you become ill while receiving an occupational disability benefit, you might also be entitled to receive a sickness benefit. In this case, your occupational disability benefit will be offset against the income from the sickness benefit.

You might qualify for a sickness benefit if you become ill and you are self-employed with voluntary income protection coverage for illness. If this is the case, report sick via the UWV employee helpline no later than the 2nd day of illness. 

Please note: If you fall ill within 4 weeks of your voluntary income protection ending, you might still be entitled to a sickness benefit.

If you have reached the state pension age and fall ill, you might be eligible for a sickness benefit if one of the following situations apply: 

• Your contract ended during your illness. 
• You are an employment agency worker and your employment agency contract ended within 6 weeks of your first day of illness. 
• You are a casual employee or temporary worker without an employment contract at the time you become ill. 

Please keep in mind that if you are of state pension age and you are receiving a sickness benefit, the benefit will last for a maximum of 6 weeks. If you were already ill while receiving a sickness benefit before you reached the state pension age, the benefit will stop once you reach that age.

• Make sure you report sick no later than the 2nd day of illness. 
• Make sure you report sick, even if you are abroad. 
• Make sure you can be reached after reporting sick. 
• Make sure you fill in our questionnaire. 

Please note: In most cases, we will send you a letter via Mijn UWV with a link to a questionnaire. You must complete the questionnaire within 3 days. We will take your answers into account when deciding whether you are entitled to a sickness benefit.