UWV does not rule out that errors have crept into many more WIA files

The Dutch employee insurance agency, UWV, is expanding its review of WIA disability benefit files after identifying that initial selection criteria for potential errors were too restrictive. While the agency previously estimated a risk involving 47,000 files, the total number has increased to 73,000, with 52,000 still requiring manual verification. Approximately 13,000 people who were initially told their benefits were correct will now be informed that their payments between 2020 and 2024 might have been miscalculated. UWV management has apologized for the misinformation and committed to rectifying any errors found in daily wage calculations.

The systemic errors, attributed to the use of outdated IT systems and manual calculations by insufficiently trained staff during the pandemic, have triggered the agency's largest recovery operation to date. While the government has allocated 100 million euros for this process, it remains uncertain if costs will rise. The remedial work is scheduled to begin in October and is expected to continue until the end of 2027.