verdienvermogen

Verdienvermogen, or earning capacity, is the capacity to earn income from work, taking into account a person’s education, work experience, health, and the possibilities on the labour market. It is a central concept in Dutch social security and disability policy because it helps determine eligibility for benefits after illness or disability and the level of support.

In practice, verdienvermogen is assessed when someone can no longer perform their previous job or when their ability to work is reduced. The assessment is typically performed by UWV (Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen). The evaluation considers medical status, remaining work capacity, possibilities for rehabilitation or retraining, age, education, language and other skills, and current labour market conditions. The term distinguishes between former earnings and the earnings that someone can still achieve, referred to as restverdienvermogen. If a person has lost part of their verdienvermogen, they may receive partial disability benefits or be required to engage in reintegration efforts to return to work.

In legal and insurance contexts, the determination of verdienvermogen influences benefit levels and eligibility timelines under schemes such as the WIA (Wet werk en inkomen naar arbeidsvermogen) and related social security provisions. It is a dynamic concept and can change with medical improvements, training, or changes in the labour market.