UWV to check 52,000 WIA benefits after all
New selection criteria mean tens of thousands of files must be checked manually.
UWV is expanding its operation to rectify errors in WIA benefits. Of approximately 73,000 files, 52,000 are expected to be checked manually; the first back payments will begin this autumn.
The expansion follows a new analysis by the implementing agency. UWV has now established that the daily wage was calculated correctly in approximately 21,000 files. The remaining files may still contain an error, meaning the benefit may be too high, too low or correct.
The checks concern daily wage calculations for WIA benefits. The daily wage partly determines the level of the benefit and is calculated on the basis of previous earnings. UWV is examining, among other things, situations involving fluctuating income, holiday pay, year-end bonuses, flexible benefit budgets and previous benefits.
Approximately 13,000 people who were previously told that their files did not need to be checked will nevertheless be contacted. UWV says it will inform them in October. The organisation apologises for its earlier communication.
People found to have been receiving too little will receive a back payment in the form of compensation. According to UWV, that compensation does not count towards aggregate income and therefore has no consequences for income-related schemes such as healthcare and rent allowances. Those who have received too much will not have to repay it under the remedial scheme, although their benefit may be adjusted for the future.
The first compensations for people who have received too little are expected from October. The full remedial operation will probably continue until the end of 2027. UWV says it will keep clients informed in the meantime.
The expansion comes on top of other remedial action at UWV. The organisation has already been under fire for some time over errors in benefit calculations and long waiting times for socio-medical assessments. The current figures are estimates; only after the manual checks will it become clear how many people will actually receive a correction.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- UWV is expected to check 52,000 additional WIA files manually.
- Approximately 13,000 people will be informed again.
- The first compensations are expected from October 2026.
- The remedial operation will probably continue until the end of 2027.
Left
Arguments The government should fully and generously compensate people when a public body makes mistakes for years. Benefits that have ended also deserve active checks, because citizens cannot be held responsible for errors in a government computer.
Values Legal certainty, social protection and trust in government.
Consequences A broad remedial operation requires more capacity and money, but prevents vulnerable people from disappearing between procedures and deadlines.
Centre
Arguments Remediation should be carried out carefully and feasibly, prioritising people who currently depend on a benefit. Independent checks of the selection process and clear communication are needed before amounts are adjusted.
Values Carefulness, feasibility and equal treatment.
Consequences The approach will take longer, but reduces the risk of new errors and unexpected consequences for allowances and pensions.
Right
Arguments UWV must rectify its errors, but also demonstrate that its processes are improving structurally. Without better digital systems and clear responsibility, every new remedial operation will remain an expensive emergency solution.
Values Responsibility, efficiency and oversight of public spending.
Consequences More external scrutiny and stricter performance agreements may help control costs, but must not delay remediation for those affected any further.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key figures and timetable were checked directly with UWV. The uncertainty over the eventual number of errors and the level of back payments is explicitly stated.
- confirmed UWV expects 73,000 WIA benefits to contain possible daily wage errors. — UWV gives this figure on the basis of adjusted and expanded selection criteria. source
- confirmed Approximately 52,000 files require manual checking. — This is stated in UWV’s announcement about the new selection. source
- confirmed The first compensations are expected from October 2026. — UWV lists October 2026 as the starting point for the first compensations. source
- confirmed Historically excessive benefits will not be reclaimed under the scheme. — UWV describes this rule in its information about the remedial operation. source
Editor's note
The number of 52,000 files, the addition of approximately 13,000 people and the timetable for back payments come from UWV sources. It has not yet been established which files ultimately prove to contain errors or what amounts are involved.Sources
- UWV verscherpt en verruimt selectie voor WIA-herstel — UWV
- Nadelige gevolgen van nabetaling bij herstelactie WIA voorkomen — UWV
- UWV controleert 52.000 WIA-uitkeringen alsnog handmatig — Nederlandse Vereniging van Arbeidsdeskundigen
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