Outgoing Minister Van Gennep has tabled the proposal for the Basic Disability Insurance Act for the Self-employed (BAZ) in internet consultation brought.
Mandatory
Many self-employed workers (ZZP-ers) have not taken out insurance for when their income falls away due to becoming disabled. Often, these self-employed people do not have the means to pay the premiums or they simply find the premiums too high.
The BAZ is intended to become mandatory for all self-employed persons who declare profits from business (wuo) in their income tax returns. The waiting period for the benefit is one year, meaning the self-employed person will not receive benefits from the BAZ until he or she has been sick for a year.
Affordable but minimum provision
The benefit is no more than a minimum provision. The sick self-employed person receives, after the one-year waiting period, 70% of earnings before incapacity for work, but at most the minimum wage. The benefit runs until the self-employed person reaches the state pension age.
However, the insurance is affordable. The tax-deductible premium will start at around 6.5% of earnings, with a maximum of €195 per month (this maximum is based on the minimum wage).
Opt out
The self-employed who finds all this too meagre may choose to take out their own (private) disability insurance. The benefit from that insurance must not be lower than the benefit from the BAZ and must run until the self-employed person's state pension age. The premium for the private insurance must be at least equal to the premium that would be due under the BAZ.
There will be transitional law for existing disability insurance policies.