Disability for work and Work and Income (Capacity for Work) Act

If you become sick, this may affect your pension. We will explain what it means for your pension if you:

  • are sick for less than two years,
  • are sick for more than two years and receive government benefits under the Work and Income (Capacity for Work) Act (Wet werk en inkomen naar arbeidsvermogen, or WIA), the Fully Disabled Persons Income Scheme (Regeling inkomensvoorziening volledig arbeidsongeschikten, or IVA) or the Return to Work (Partially Disabled Persons) Regulations (Werkhervatting Gedeeltelijk Arbeidsgeschikten, or WGA) and
  • are declared disabled for work.

You are sick for less than two years

There are no consequences the first year. You will still be paid your full salary by your employer. In the second year that you are sick, you may receive a lower salary. Please check this with your employer. If you receive less salary, you will pay a smaller amount in pension contribution. This means your pension accrual will also be lower.

Are you sick for more than two years?

If so, you may be declared disabled for work. Your employment contract will then be terminated or adjusted. The government will provide you with benefits under the Work and Income (Capacity for Work) Act, the Fully Disabled Persons Income Scheme or the Return to Work (Partially Disabled Persons) Regulations. This will impact your pension and the accrual thereof. We will explain this below.

The Work and Income (Capacity for Work) Act distinguishes between two groups

Group 1:
If you are disabled for work for 80% to 100%. This means that the government assumes that you can no longer work. You will then receive benefits under the Fully Disabled Persons Income Scheme.

Group 2:
If you are disabled for work for 35% to 80%. Or if you are disabled for work for 80% to 100%, but will not be for the rest of your life. The government will encourage you to keep working or return to work. You will then receive benefits under the Return to Work (Partially Disabled Persons) Regulations.

Disability for work will impact your pension

It is important to know the percentage of your disability for work. This has been determined by Employee Insurance Agency UWV. They apply the following percentages:

  • Disabled for work for less than 35%
    It is up to the employer to find suitable work for you in that case. Perhaps you will work fewer hours than before you became disabled for work. You will receive a lower salary and will pay a smaller amount in pension contributions. This means your pension accrual will also be lower.

  • Disabled for work for 35% to 65%
    Your pension accrual continues in part. For the part that you are disabled for work, you do not pay any contributions yourself. The amount of your pension accrual is determined by the percentage of your disability for work:
    • Are you disabled for work for 35%-45%?
      Then your pension accrual continues at 25%.
    • Are you disabled for work for 45%-65%?
      Then your pension accrual continues at 50%.
    For the part that you do work, you also accrue pension. For this part, pension contributions are paid through your employer – as would be the case if you were not disabled for work.

  • Disabled for work for more than 65%
    You continue to accrue pension. You do so over the salary you had when you became disabled for work. You do not pay any contributions for this yourself.

What must you do?

You need to send us the decision rendered by Employee Insurance Agency UWV. We will pass it on to Elipslife. They will assess whether you are entitled to continued payment of contributions. If so, you will receive an award letter. This letter will state the contribution paid for you each month.