The Netherlands’ employee insurance agency (UWV) is increasingly failing to assess eligibility for disability benefits within the mandated six-month timeframe. Currently, over 11,000 individuals are waiting longer than six months for a WIA assessment, a rise of 3,000 from the previous year, prompting concern from Minister Vijlbrief. The Minister is urging unions and employers to discuss revisions to the system, citing its inefficiencies and high costs. A shortage of medical professionals available to conduct the assessments is a primary cause of the delays, and the UWV is attempting internal restructuring to address this. Proposed solutions include delegating tasks from doctors to other staff and tightening rules for requesting re-evaluations to reduce workload. The number of long-term sick employees claiming WIA benefits is rising, particularly among those aged 60 and over, with approximately 865,000 people currently receiving disability payments. The government intends to undertake broader reforms of the entire disability system.