[Increasing use of social benefits by young people with chronic illness or disability in the Netherlands]

Young handicapped citizens in the Netherlands have increasingly been receiving social benefits or special services during the last five years. Dutch governmental departments have therefore commissioned an applied social policy research. We analyzed six benefits (for example special education, psychological healthcare, and Wajong benefits for young disabled). The usage of all these provisions is increasing. In particular we focus on "Wajong" (a sort of pension for Dutch young disabled people) and its social consequences. The number of Wajong benefits is growing strongly. In 2006 every 22nd person aged 18 (4.5%) claimed and received this disability benefit. Also, the statistical trend is that people with a handicap are less often employed and are more often unemployed. So there is an ongoing political discussion about these provisions with special attention to Wajong.