The Dutch Federation of Pension Funds (Pensioenfederatie) has urged government organisations to cooperate during the rectification process of incorrect calculations made by the country’s Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), which have resulted in incorrect benefits being paid.

Last month, the Dutch Minister of Social Affairs, Eddy van Hijum, announced the organisation would reassess around 43,000 disability benefit (WIA) calculations, as it was revealed some claimants have been underpaid for several years.

The fallout has also seen UWV board member, Johanna Hirscher, resign immediately from the board.

Pensioenfederatie has published a position paper on the matter, which will soon be debated in the Dutch parliament’s Lower House, as many people with WIA benefits receive a supplementary disability pension from their pension fund.

Pension funds use UWV data for their calculations, which is why Pensioenfederatie is making an “urgent appeal” to all government organisations involved to cooperate, so that “vulnerable people do not fall through the cracks”.

“Indeed, recovery actions by the UWV are not isolated. In many cases, they directly affect other parties in the chain, including pension funds, insurers and the benefits agency (Dienst Toeslagen). These parties pay benefits or surcharges based on data from the UWV. If these are subsequently found to be incorrect, corrections (sometimes contrary) have to be made,” the association stated.

“If the cooperation is not set up properly from the start, in the worst case, people could face multiple claims/non-payments, with knock-on effects for benefits or allowances; they have to be repaid, for example. This means that people affected by this risk being caught between different institutions and thus plunged into financial chaos. For this not to happen, these institutions must work well together.”

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