Mandatory disability insurance for the self-employed postponed: what does that mean now?

A legally mandatory disability insurance scheme is being introduced for freelancersand other self-employed professionals. However, implementation has been postponed: the obligation is not expected to start until around 2030, and the law is not even final yet. Until then, you still choose for yourself whether and how to insure yourself against disability. In this blog, you can read what the scheme entails, why it has been postponed, and — more importantly — what this means for you as a self-employed person right now. Including the link to bogus self-employment and a low hourly rate.

The short answer

• What: a legally mandatory basic disability insurance for the self-employed, the Basic Disability Insurance for the Self-Employed (BAZ) bill.
• For whom: entrepreneurs who file tax returns as income tax entrepreneurs and have profit from their business. Not for director-major shareholders, pensioners, and people who primarily work as employees.
• When: the implementation has been postponed; the obligation is expected to start around 2030. The law has not yet been passed.
• How much: the payout will be approximately 70% of your taxable profit, with a maximum around the minimum wage level. The premium is expected to be around €170 per month (and is tax deductible).
• Waiting period: the benefit only starts after two years of illness — that is a long time.
• For now: it remains voluntary for the time being. You choose for yourself: private disability insurance, mutual fund, saving — or (consciously) nothing.

What is the mandatory disability insurance

The mandatory disability insurance stems from the bill on Basic Disability Insurance for the Self-Employed(BAZ). The idea behind it: self-employed individuals who become ill or disabled often find themselves without a safety net. Unlike employees, freelancers do not have automatic continued payment of wages or WIA benefits. A large proportion of the self-employed are not insured against disability at all — often because private disability insurance is expensive. The government therefore wants to introduce a mandatory basic insurance scheme.

The main outlines as they currently stand:

• For whom: self-employed individuals who file income tax returns as income tax entrepreneurs and have business profits. Excluded are, among others, directors of a legal entity (such as a director-major shareholder of a private limited company), people who work predominantly as employees, contributing partners, and those who are already receiving an old-age pension.
• The payout: expected to be 70% of your taxable profit, with a maximum around the minimum wage. So it really is about a basic level — not a luxury safety net, but a floor.
• The premium: based on the figures for 2025, approximately €171 per month maximum. The premium is tax-deductible, which reduces the net burden.
• The waiting period: the benefit only starts after two years of illness. You must bridge those first two years yourself. After that, the benefit continues until you reach the state pension age.
• Opt-out: instead of the mandatory disability insurance, you may keep your own private insurance. However, the condition is that it is at least equivalent: the premium must be at least as high, the benefit not lower, and the coverage must continue until your state pension age.

Why postponed and until when

The mandatory AOV was initially scheduled for earlier, but its implementation has been postponed. The obligation is now expected to start around 2030.It is important to realize: the law has not yet been passed. The bill still needs to go through the House of Representatives and then the Senate. Only when both have approved it will the regulation be finalized — and even then, practical implementation will take time.

The postponement has several causes. Such mandatory insurance for hundreds of thousands of self-employed individuals is technically substantial: there must be an organization to collect premiums and assess benefits, and that capacity does not yet exist. In addition, there is intense political and public debate regarding the level of the premium, the long waiting period of two years, and the question of whether a mandatory scheme is compatible with entrepreneurship. That discussion has not yet been resolved.

What does that mean for you? For the time being, nothing changes. Until the law is actually in place, disability insurance remains a free choice. Also, do not count too heavily on 2030 as a firm fact: the year and details may still shift as long as the law has not been passed.

What does this mean for self-employed professionals?

The biggest misconception is that you “have to arrange something now because it is becoming mandatory.” That is not true. In the short term, you retain your full freedom of choice. Nevertheless, this topic touches upon a broader development that is particularly relevant to self-employed professionals right now: the fight against bogus self-employment.

The government is scrutinizing increasingly critically whether a freelancer is a genuine independent entrepreneur or actually a disguised employee. One of the indicators of this is a low hourly rate. For rates below a certain threshold, a legal presumption of employment: it will then be assumed that you are an employee unless proven otherwise. Not being personally insured against disability fits into this same picture — it is one of the things that, as a genuine entrepreneur, you normally arrange yourself. Anyone who behaves like an employee in all respects is more likely to face reclassification.

In other words: the mandatory disability insurance and the approach to bogus self-employment stem from the same idea — treating self-employed individuals more like full-fledged entrepreneurs, with the corresponding responsibilities. If you work at a low rate, there is more at stake for you than just disability insurance. Read our blog post on hourly rates under 38 euros and the legal presumption for.

What choices do you have now?

As long as there is no obligation, you choose how to cover your risk yourself. The main options:

• Private disability insurance: insurance with an insurer. You determine the waiting period, the insured amount, and the retirement age yourself. You can often choose a much shorter waiting period than the two years of the mandatory scheme. Disadvantage: the premium can be substantial, especially for older or high-risk professions.
• Bread fund or donation circle: a group of self-employed individuals who temporarily support each other financially through donations during illness. Relatively inexpensive and socially responsible, but it is not insurance: the benefit is usually limited in amount and duration (often a maximum of two years) and intended for temporary inability to work.
• Voluntary insurance with the UWV: in some situations — for example, shortly after the termination of employment — you can voluntarily insure yourself against disability with the UWV. There are conditions and time limits attached to this, so it is not an option for everyone.
• Saving / personal buffer: building up a reserve yourself to bridge shorter periods of absence. Fine as a supplement, but a buffer depletes quickly in the event of long-term disability.
• Deliberately doing nothing: it is allowed, and some self-employed individuals choose it consciously. However, be aware that in the event of prolonged absence, you will fall back on your own assets and ultimately on social assistance — with the associated asset test.

What can you do right now

1. Map out your risk. How long can you keep going financially if you are out of action for a year tomorrow? That answer determines how much coverage you really need.
2. Take your time to compare the options. Put private disability insurance, mutual fund, and savings side by side. Pay attention not only to the premium, but also to the waiting period, insured amount, and retirement age.
3. Don't wait for 2030. Mandatory disability insurance is still far off and uncertain. The risk of illness is not. If you are currently uninsured, you won't bridge that gap by waiting for the law.
4. Check your hourly rate and your position. If you are working below a low rate, see if you run into the legal presumption of employment. Clear agreements and a market-rate fee strengthen your position as a true entrepreneur.
5. Keep an eye on the legislation. Follow the announcements from the Chamber of Commerce and the central government so that you know when the scheme becomes more concrete and whether the opt-out is of interest to you.

Honest recommendation

Don't let the term “mandatory” rush you. The mandatory disability insurance has been postponed until around 2030, and the law hasn't even been passed yet — so there is absolutely no reason to rush into action now “just because you have to.” What is sensible, however, is to check, regardless of that law, whether you have adequately covered your disability risk. Many self-employed individuals do not, and that is precisely where the real risk lies. If you are healthy and young, private disability insurance with a generous waiting period is often more affordable than you might think; a mutual fund can be a nice addition.

Keep the bigger picture in mind as well. The mandatory disability insurance is not separate from tackling bogus self-employment. If you work for a low hourly rate, there is more at stake for you than just insurance. Are you unsure about your position as a self-employed person, about the upcoming opt-out, or about your contracts? Then have your situation reviewed — that prevents surprises. Also read our blog about hourly rates under 38 euros and check out our other articles on the MKB Juristen blog. You can find the full explanation of the regulation at the Chamber of Commerce (KvK).

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