More female recipients of disability benefits

By the end of September this year, 608 thousand disablement benefits were granted under the Occupational Disability Act (WAO) or the Labour Capacity Act (WIA). More than 291 thousand benefit recipients were women, nearly half of the total. The proportion of women in the total number of WAO and WIA benefit recipients has grown steadily over the past decade. In 1998, 39 percent were women. The number of WIA benefits to men and women was already fifty-fifty.

Occupational disablement benefits (WAO and WIA) by gender

WIA

Since its introduction in January 2006, more than 87 thousand benefits were started under the WIA, the successor of the WAO. Approximately 13 thousand benefits were terminated in the period January 2006–September 2009. The number of new and terminated IVA (fully disabled) benefits is somewhat higher for men than for women. The number of new benefits granted under the WGA (partially disabled) is higher for women than for men, while the number of benefits terminated was almost the same for both genders.

Number of new and terminated WIA benefits by gender, January 2006–September 2009

Harrie Hartman and Ton van Maanen