Active inclusion of young people with disabilities or health problems: national report The Netherlands

In the Netherlands growing numbers of young people and adolescents are in receipt of special education, mental health care services and benefits because of long-term illness, handicap or chronic disease. The most alarming increase is in those covered by the Disablement Assistance Act for Handicapped Young Persons (Wajong). In 2001, 120,000 people received a Wajong benefit. By 2010, this had risen to almost 200,000. This means that one out of every 20 people aged 18 (4.8%) is claiming and receiving this disability benefit. Key characteristics of the growing number of young people with disabilities receiving Wajong, special education and other services include early school leaving with no or little education, behavioural problems and mental health difficulties (Besseling et al, 2010). The increasing numbers of children in youth mental health care, special education, and special services for youth and their parents reflects an increase in the types of behaviour and communication disorders that are recognised as medical impairments, a wider awareness of these schemes amongst the population and the lack of incentives to exit these schemes on financial grounds. In 2009, the Minister of the Department of Social Affairs and Work informed parliament in a letter that it was expected, if policies did not change, that the Wajong numbers would double to 400,000 by the year 2040. The old Wajong legislation has been superseded as of 1 January 2010 by the Work and Employment Support (Young Disabled Persons) Act, which is referred to as the ‘new’ Wajong. The new Act is primarily concerned with what young people with disabilities can do.