News item | 11-25-2022 | 4:15 pm
Roos Vermeij will become chairman of the independent committee for the future of the disability scheme. This committee was set up by Minister Van Gennip of Social Affairs and Employment to advise on a future-proof system for disability. Roos Vermeij is a former member of parliament of the PvdA and was involved in various dossiers there, including social security and the labor market. After the House of Representatives, she was a director at the PME pension fund and until June 2022 alderman for economy and neighborhoods in Rotterdam.
Bruno Bruins has been appointed vice-chairman of this committee. He was Minister of Medical Care and Sport from 2017 to 2020 and before that he was chairman of the Executive Board of UWV for five years. He now works as a State Councilor in the Advisory Division of the Council of State.
The Council of Ministers has approved the appointment of the chairman, vice-chairman and the following members. The independent committee for the future disability system (OCTAS) will start immediately and aims to provide its advice in the first quarter of 2024.
Other members of the committee:
- Neele Kistemaker, founder and director of Muzus, a consultancy firm that works on social transitions and social issues with a design approach.
- Irmgard Borghouts, professor by special appointment of HRM and Social Security at Tilburg University.
- Sita Mohabir, organizational consultant, trainer and job coach in the field of accessibility and equal inclusion. Sita was project leader ‘From Limitation to Talent’ to promote Inclusive Employership at the municipality of The Hague. As an experience expert, Sita is affiliated with the establishment of various networks.
- Josine Westerbeek, former (vice) chairperson of CNV and ‘Care for the Creation’ program leader at Socires, an independent think tank on culture and society. She is also a member of the Supervisory Board of the HandicapNL Foundation.
- Maarten Lindeboom, professor of general economics and head of the Department of Economics at VU Amsterdam. Also crown member of the SER.
- Harry van de Kraats, former general director of AWVN and currently working as a partner at executive search agency Maes & Lunau.
- Wout de Boer, insurance physician not practicing, researcher in the field of national and international insurance medicine.
- Pierre Koning, professor of labor market and social security at VU University Amsterdam.
The government has ambitions with the system, such as removing hardships in the WIA, introducing disability insurance for the self-employed and easing obligations, especially for small employers. These ambitions must land in a system that is under pressure, partly due to the mismatch in the field of socio-medical assessment.
The government is taking various measures during this period and for the longer term, Minister Van Gennip is asking this independent committee to provide integral and fundamental advice on a future-proof system for illness and disability. A system that is feasible, affordable and explainable for job seekers, workers, employers, executive organizations and the people who have to or want to make use of that system. The committee has been asked to come up with several solutions for fundamental, structural bottlenecks that exist in the current system. This creates room for the ambitions that exist with regard to this system, as formulated in the coalition agreement, among other things.