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How to Apply for IOAW Benefit

Is your unemployment benefit about to expire and are you over the age of 50? If so, you may be entitled to IOAW benefits (IOAW stands for: income provision for people who are partially incapacitated, unemployed, and over 50). IOAW benefit can supplement the (family) income up to income support level.

Are you entitled to IOAW benefit?

You may be eligible for IOAW benefits if you are an older employee and the benefit you receive under the Unemployment Act (WW) has expired. The IOAW benefit is a supplement to the (family) income, up to income support level. There are several criteria you must meet for the IOAW.

IOAW Criteria

You are entitled to IOAW benefits if: 

  • You do not have enough income and you became unemployed after you turned 50; 
  • You’ve received unemployment benefit for at least three months and are no longer entitled to it; 
  • After you turned 50, you became eligible for benefit through the WGA scheme (work resumption scheme for persons who are partially incapacitated for work);
  • This WGA benefit has stopped because you were less than 35% incapacitated for work at the last examination;
  • You are partially incapacitated for work (less than 80%) and were receiving IOAW benefit on 28 December 2005, before the introduction of the WIA Act (benefit according to the Capacity for Work Act). 

How can you apply for IOAW benefit?

To apply for IOAW benefit, you must register as a job seeker on werk.nl. You’ll need a DigiD and an e-mail address to do so. Two days after registering on werk.nl you should call the municipality where you live to make an appointment for an intake to discuss your eligibility for benefits. This interview will be conducted by one of Fijnder’s income consultants.

Work and Income (Capacity for Work) Act  

Since the introduction of the WIA, the IOAW no longer applies to partially incapacitated, older, unemployed people. However, you may be entitled to an allowance under the ‘toeslagenwet’ (Allowances Act). You can apply for this allowance, on top of your WIA benefit, at the UWV (Employment Insurance Agency). If you are not entitled to this allowance on top of your WIA benefit, you may still be eligible for the IOAW.