in
‘I am 100 percent incapacitated for work. Or as the UWV so beautifully puts it: I don’t have a usable working capacity. In 1992 I was diagnosed with MS. In the last five to ten years the complaints have gotten a lot worse and I am no longer working.
“My last paid job was a project assistant at KPN’s head office in The Hague. Such a job, really nice. But I fell on the street and never fully recovered from that blow. When I was not better after a year, KPN was allowed to fire me.
“I did some volunteer work, but never got a paid job again. I am in a wheelchair and have limited energy and concentration, but if I can organize my time and tasks from home, I can do as much work as anyone else. However, I stopped applying. Working doesn’t pay in my situation. Every hour I earn is immediately deducted from my benefits, which means that you can end up with a lower monthly income. You can also lose your old rights, including in terms of pension accrual.
“And then there’s something else. If it turns out that I cannot keep up with the work, then I will continue to be labeled with usable working capacity. Then the UWV can oblige me to accept a job that they consider suitable for me. When you see what kind of jobs they come up with… I don’t like that.
“As a result, I had to conclude that there are too many risks for me in looking for work. While I would really love to work! Supervising difficult projects in the field of IT or the energy sector: that sounds great to me. Work is so much more than just work. The social contacts, the colleagues, the ride to work and then playing your favorite music in the car: I miss that.”
from
‘We have been living in Onstwedde, Northeast Groningen since 2020. Before that we lived in a flat in The Hague, but that was too small and clumsy with my wheelchair. We then started looking for an affordable home, further and further on the edges of the country. Onstwedde felt good. We live in the ‘center’, on the main road; in a farm more remote there would have been less commotion.
“I can get by on my income, but am I satisfied with it? New. If I could, I would buy new clothes more often, eat out more often or go on a weekend away. My boyfriend usually pays now, but I’d rather be more equal in that regard.
“I really have to hold back when it comes to books. Art books, thrillers, novels: I read all kinds of things. It puts my brain cells to work so nicely. I also like to play LPs. Recently I treated myself to the LP Moving Waves from the band Focus. Not very expensive, but I am very happy with it.”
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of May 9, 2022