Once you have been included in the Access to work register you qualify for the Access to work programme (‘banenafspraak’). This programme has been set up to give people with an illness or disability more chance of finding and keeping work. The Access to work programme means that employers must give jobs to a certain number of people with an occupational disability (‘arbeidsbeperking’).
You will qualify for the Access to work programme when:
- you had your disability or illness before you turned 18 or during your studies
- you need disability equipment (‘hulpmiddel’) or adjustments at work (‘aanpassingen op de werkplek’) for you to earn at least the minimum wage (‘minimumloon’)
The form to apply for a disability employment assessment is made up of two questionnaires. One asks general questions and the other asks about your medical situation. Only the UWV physician will be allowed to read the medical questionnaire. This means that the information you provide will remain confidential.
The general questionnaire covers:
- personal details, including your name, address and citizen service number (‘BSN’)
- your living situation
- general information about your illness or disability
- the disability equipment or adjustments currently in place for you at work
- your opinion about whether you need disability equipment or workplace adjustments to be able to earn at least the minimum wage
- your studies
- your employment status
The medical questionnaire covers:
- information about your illness or disability
- information about your healthcare team
Make sure you also send any relevant medical documents together with your application. These will be used by the UWV physician (‘verzekeringarts’). Please make sure that you write your name and citizen service number at the top right-hand side of each document.
To send us your completed form, first of all put the medical questionnaire into a separate envelope. You can then mark the envelope as ‘private and confidential’ by writing ‘Medisch geheim’ on it. You should also write your citizen service number on this envelope.
You should then put this sealed envelope containing the medical questionnaire into another envelope together with the general questionnaire and send it to:
UWV
Postbus 58300
1040 HH Amsterdam
We will confirm we have received your application. We may invite you to meet with our occupational disability employment counsellor (‘arbeidsdeskundige’) or an UWV physician.
You will receive a decision from us about whether you will be included in the Access to work register within a maximum of 8 weeks from when we confirm receipt of your application.