Support for starting a business in case of incapacity for work

Do you live in the Netherlands, and do you have a long-term incapacity for work? Or do you receive an invalidity benefit? In some cases you may be eligible for support to start your own business. You can apply for different types of support to the Employee Insurance Agency (Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen, UWV).

What type of support can you get?

You can get support in the form of:

• a reimbursement scheme for start-up expenses (voorbereidingskrediet) and a start-up loan (starterskrediet)
• a supplement on your income (income support, inkomenssuppletie)
• disability equipment or support, for example transport facilities, communication services, such as reading assistance or deaf interpreting, or workplace adjustments.

What are the conditions for the loans?

You can apply for a reimbursement scheme for start-up expenses and a start-up loan if:

• You have a long-term illness or disability that affects your work. You can prove this with a doctor’s statement.
• You cannot get a private loan, a bank loan, or a loan from Qredits.
• You have a business plan.
• You have convinced UWV that starting a business is a realistic option.

View all conditions for the reimbursement scheme for start-up expenses and a start-up loan, or make an appointment with UWV to discuss your options.

You must pay interest on the loans. When you need to repay the loan depends on the amount of the loan.

What are the conditions for income support?

You can apply for income support if:

• You receive a partial benefit under the Invalidity Insurance Act (Wet op de arbeidsongeschiktheidsverzekering, WAO) or Invalidity Insurance (Self-Employed Persons) Act (Wet arbeidsongeschiktheidsverzekering zelfstandigen, WAZ).
• You earn less than you should be able to earn according to UWV’s calculation.

View all conditions for the income support.

What are the conditions for disability support?

You can apply for disability support if:

• Your disability will most likely last longer than one year.
• The facilities are required for your work.

The support you are eligible for depends on your situation. For some types of support additional conditions apply.

How to apply?

You can apply for the reimbursement scheme for start-up expenses and the start-up loan to UVW (in Dutch). For this, you should make an appointment with your employment expert to discuss your plans and options together.

You can apply for income support to UWV.

You can apply for disability equipment and support or for a communication support worker to UWV.