Some 450,000 people have been diagnosed with long Covid since the virus first appeared in the Netherlands, 12,000 of whom are unable to work full-time, according to new figures.

The number of patients entitled to an incapacity benefit known as WIA, paid out to those who are off work for at least two years, has quadrupled from 3,000 since 2023, the unemployment insurance agency UWV said.

But patients’ organisation PostCovidNL said the figures represented the tip of the iceberg. They estimate that 90,000 people are currently struggling with long Covid, but many are not entitled to claim benefits.

Long Covid is defined as a chronic condition arising from a Covid-19 infection that lasts for at least three months. It affects at least 10% of all cases but 50-70% of cases where the patient needs hospital treatment.

Young people who fell ill while still at school cannot claim WIA because they have never worked, while the Wajong work incapacity benefit is only paid to people who are deemed unable to work for the rest of their lives.

Others try to get by by reducing their working hours or retiring early, rather than quitting and claiming incapacity support.

Gradual return

Many patients with long Covid are able to return to work eventually, but doctors say it is a long and difficult process that does not match the expectations of the benefits system.

“These days we know that you have to build up very gradually and not exceed your limits,” Iris Homeijer, director of medical affairs at occupational health specialist Human Capital Care told NOS.

“But it’s proven to be different from other diseases, because we can’t give a prognosis. It’s very difficult to tell with long Covid how long someone will be ill for and whether they will suffer a relapse.”

The uncertainty means UWV doctors are reluctant to approve young long Covid patients for the Wajong benefit even if they are unable to work in the short term, which can leave them financially in dire straits.

The UWV acknowledged that the strict rules had led to some desperate situations, but it was doing its best to help young people who were turned down for Wajong navigate the system.