Voluntary extended continued pay means that employer and employee agree together to extend the waiting period for the WIA. The employer continues to pay wages for longer than the usual 104 weeks and the WIA application is postponed. That is mainly useful when the reintegration has almost succeeded and employer and employee want to keep working towards a full return to work for a while, without a WIA assessment following straight away.
In this article you will read what voluntary extended continued pay involves exactly, when postponing the WIA application is and is not possible, how you apply for it at the UWV and how you stop the extension again later or extend it once more.
What is voluntary extended continued pay?
During illness, an employer normally continues to pay wages for up to 104 weeks. After those two years the waiting period for the WIA ends and, as a rule, a WIA application follows. Employer and employee can, however, decide together to extend that waiting period. The employer then continues to pay wages for longer and thereby postpones the WIA application.
This is a joint choice: it only happens if both parties agree to it. Postponement is attractive when the return to work is close. Think of an employee who is just building back up in original or adapted work, or a second-track programme that is about to succeed with another employer. Continuing for a while can then yield more than a WIA assessment that cuts across the recovery.
Voluntary extended continued pay is separate from the statutory wage sanction. With an extension you choose yourself to keep paying longer, whereas a wage sanction from the UWV is imposed because the reintegration was addressed insufficiently.
When is postponing the WIA application useful?
Postponement is a means, not an end. It pays off mainly in situations where a short extra period makes the difference. For example:
- The employee is almost fully recovered and is still building up hours.
- A trial placement or new role has just started and needs a little more time to take hold.
- Training or treatment that makes the return possible is almost finished.
In all these cases the longer continued pay gives room to complete the return to work. Before you choose this, it is wise to be clear on how long the regular continued pay during sickness runs and what an extension means financially for the employer.
When is postponement not possible?
Extending is not always possible. There are two important conditions to bear in mind:
- No sickness benefit. Postponement is not possible if the employer receives a sickness benefit for the employee.
- No dismissal during the extension. The employer may not dismiss the employee in the period in which they continue to pay wages for longer. So if you choose an extension, the employment remains in place as long as the extended continued pay runs.
How do you apply for the extension?
Employer and employee decide together how long the continued pay runs. One deadline is crucial here: you have to bear in mind that the WIA is applied for at the latest 11 weeks before the end of the extended continued pay. That way the UWV keeps enough time to complete the WIA assessment on time.
You apply for the extension with the form ‘Aanvragen verlenging loondoorbetaling WIA’. The employer fills it in and prints it. Then employer and employee both sign it. After that the employer scans the form and uploads it via the upload function at the UWV. There is no fixed moment at which this has to happen, but preferably you do it before the end of the standard period of 104 weeks.
Stopping earlier or extending once more
An extension is not set in stone. Both the employee and the employer can end the extended continued pay early. That goes with the form ‘Beëindigen verlengde loondoorbetaling WIA’: the employer arranges this through the employer portal, the employee through My UWV. Note: after receipt of the stop request, the employer continues to pay wages for at least 13 more weeks.
The form does not need to be sent if the extended continued pay would end within those 13 weeks anyway, or if the contract ends within that period. It is also possible to extend the continued pay once more. That new extension then has to last at least 13 weeks from the new application. The exception: if the employment ends within those 13 weeks, the extension stops too.
| Action | Form | Who arranges it | Point of attention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extend | Aanvragen verlenging loondoorbetaling WIA | Employer fills in, both sign | Apply for the WIA at the latest 11 weeks before the end |
| Stop early | Beëindigen verlengde loondoorbetaling WIA | Employer (portal) or employee (My UWV) | At least 13 more weeks of continued pay |
| Extend again | Aanvragen verlenging loondoorbetaling WIA | Employer, both sign | At least 13 weeks, unless the employment ends earlier |
What do you watch out for with an extension?
The choice to extend is mainly a trade-off between cost and chance. The employer bears the wage costs throughout the extension (during illness usually at least 70 percent of the wage, higher in many collective agreements), while the employee does not yet apply for a WIA benefit. That is worthwhile if a return to work really is in sight, but less wise if the recovery has stalled.
Also keep the planning tight. Because you have to apply for the WIA at the latest 11 weeks before the end and a stop request brings another 13 weeks of continued pay, it is smart to set the deadlines out on a timeline in advance. When a second-track programme ends exactly is an important reference point here. Employers will find additional explanation of their obligations on our page about second-track reintegration for employers.
The source: information from the UWV
The rules around extended continued pay and postponing the WIA application come from the UWV. At uwv.nl/nl/ziek/loondoorbetaling/uitstel-wia-aanvraag you will find the current forms and conditions. Deadlines and procedures can change, so for a concrete application always check the most recent information from the UWV itself.
Frequently asked questions
Can the employer dismiss the employee during the extended continued pay? No. As long as the employer continues to pay wages in the extended period, they may not dismiss the employee. So the employment remains in place during the extension.
Is postponement always possible? No. Postponement is not possible if the employer receives a sickness benefit for the employee. In that case you cannot voluntarily extend the waiting period for the WIA.
How do I stop an extension earlier than agreed? With the form ‘Beëindigen verlengde loondoorbetaling WIA’. The employer does this through the employer portal, the employee through My UWV. After the stop request the continued pay runs for at least 13 more weeks.
When do I have to apply for the WIA with an extension? At the latest 11 weeks before the end of the extended continued pay. That way the UWV has enough time to complete the assessment on time.
May I extend once more? Yes, once. That new extension has to last at least 13 weeks from the new application, unless the employment ends within those 13 weeks.
Advice on extended continued pay?
Are you unsure whether postponing the WIA application is wise in your situation? Care4Careers guides employers and employees through reintegration and thinks along about the timing of the WIA and a possible extension. Request a no-obligation advisory conversation and we will look together at what the smartest step is in your case.