18,443 Belgians declared unfit for work until retirement without reassessment: “Shocking”

Nearly six years after the COVID-19 crisis, 18,443 people on long-term sick leave are still covered by an exceptional arrangement under which their incapacity for work was automatically extended until retirement age, without an individual medical reassessment. This emerges from Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke’s (Vooruit) reply to a written parliamentary question by MP and parliamentary group leader Axel Ronse. “Exceptional measures introduced during the COVID-19 period should not become permanent policy,” says Ronse. “Citizens have every right to expect that anyone receiving sickness benefits is actually examined by a medical adviser.”

Nearly 30,000 cases extended automatically

During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical advisers were overwhelmed by the number of cases. At the end of 2020, the Vivaldi government therefore decided to automatically declare nearly 30,000 long-term sick people unfit for work until retirement age, without any individual medical assessment.

That exceptional measure was intended as a one-off solution. Yet today, 18,443 people are still covered by the scheme. According to Axel Ronse, that is difficult to justify.

“It is shocking. During the COVID-19 crisis, the Vivaldi government declared nearly 30,000 people unfit for work until retirement without any individual assessment. Today, 18,443 of them are still receiving sickness benefits. No doubt many of them are fully entitled to those benefits. But citizens should at the very least be able to expect that anyone receiving sickness benefits is personally examined.”

N-VA calls for swift individual reassessments

The N-VA is calling on the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance ( NIHDI The National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (NIHDI/RIZIV/INAMI) is a federal public agency that organises healthcare, a part of social security. The organisation is responsible for four key services: Medical Care, Benefits, Medical Assessments and Verification, and the Administrative Supervision Service. The NIHDI is made up of representatives of workers, employers, health insurance funds and healthcare providers. Different parties on the Flemish side strongly advocate for healthcare to be transferred to the Communities. NIHDI /RIZIV) to give priority to the individual reassessment of these cases by medical inspectors or medical advisers as soon as possible. “People who are permanently ill deserve the highest level of protection. But an exceptional measure should never evolve into a permanent system for years on end. That is why a thorough and swift reassessment of these cases is essential.”

For Ronse, the minister’s reply once again confirms that a structural reform of the long-term incapacity for work system remains necessary. “Protect where necessary, activate where possible. That is the essence of a modern Social security Social security is currently managed at the Federal level in Belgium. The most important pillars of Belgian social security are: sickness and invalidity insurance (NIDHI), pensions, unemployment insurance and child allowances. In addition, occupational illness, occupational accidents and annual holidays are dealt with at this level. Some Flemish parties have been campaigning for years for (large parts of) social security to be transferred to the Regions and Communities. social security system. The best social security system is one that gives people opportunities to participate again, rather than writing them off permanently.”

More than 9,500 people have left the scheme

Minister Vandenbroucke’s reply also shows that 9,563 people have already left the exceptional scheme, due to retirement, death or a spontaneous return to work.

The minister further confirmed that the remaining cases will be reassessed as a priority. Between 2026 and 2029, Belgium’s health insurance funds will reassess a total of 218,000 people on long-term sick leave, with those previously recognised as unfit for work until retirement receiving priority. The NIHDI (RIZIV) will also significantly expand its thematic inspections.