Netherlands sees record rise in sick leave and disability claims

The Dutch social security agency UWV recorded 432,000 sick‑leave notifications last year, a six‑percent increase over the previous year, and expects the figure to rise above 452,000 this year – the highest level since 2002. The growth is driven not by more frequent absences but by longer durations, especially for workers with mental‑health problems. UWV projects nearly 81,000 new WIA (disability insurance) awards this year, about 9,600 more than the year before.

Data show a sharp rise among twenty‑year‑olds: the annual inflow of men into long‑term disability has jumped 84 % and for women more than doubled (121 %). Only one in seven recipients with mental‑health issues returns to work within five years, and the increasing WIA inflow could cost the welfare system over €1 billion in the next five years. Experts, including UWV’s head of insurance doctors Kevin de Decker, call for stronger prevention and a reduction in sick‑leave reporting to curb the disability surge.