There was a plan to give self-employed people compulsory insurance for when they fall ill. Sounds good, right? But both the Tax Office and the UWV say they cannot handle this. The UWV even says: "Before 2030, we don't even need to talk about it." And so it remains uncertain if and when this insurance will come.
The idea was simple: self-employed people would receive benefits if they could no longer work due to illness, with a max of the minimum wage until retirement. In return, they would pay 6.5% of their earnings, with a max of €195 a month. But this is where the hassle starts: how do you know exactly what someone's earnings are? This can sometimes take years, leading to problems with refunds or back payments.
The Tax Office and UWV think it is all too complicated and say they do not have time or people for it. Minister Eddy van Hijum does not want to drop the idea and thinks he needs a year to simplify the plan. Meanwhile, there is considerable political discussion.
Conclusion: compulsory insurance for self-employed workers is at a standstill, everyone is bickering and meanwhile nothing is happening.
