UWV scraps €55m IT system five years after project began
The Employee Insurance Agency says it no longer has enough confidence that its Bemiddelingsservice can be introduced within an acceptable period and at responsible cost.
The Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) has definitively stopped developing its IT system, the Bemiddelingsservice (BMS), after problems with its development and implementation piled up. It has spent €55m on the system since the project started five years ago.
In a statement, UWV said there is "insufficient confidence" that the BMS can be successfully introduced "within an acceptable period and at responsible cost".
Two MPs put written questions to the minister of Social Affairs and Employment on 15 October. Heutink of Groep Markuszower asked what stopping the project means for job seekers and employers. He also asked how much was spent after February 2026, when the Adviescollege ICT-toetsing, the government's IT advisory board, issued what he called a damning report, and why the project was not stopped then.
Heutink's questions also refer to the software supplier, which says the poor quality of the data UWV supplied is a major cause of the failure. Ergin of DENK asked when UWV knew its data was not good enough for the application to work as intended, and when the minister was told of the decision.
Ergin also asked whether the estimated value of the contract was first put at about €5m to €7m and later set at €58.15m excluding VAT in the award notice, and why that did not lead to a new tender. He asked whether the evaluation the minister has announced will cover the award decision, and when it will be delivered.
Follow the story: UWV
UWV (Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen)
The Employee Insurance Agency, which pays unemployment and disability benefits and helps people back into work.
DENK
A Dutch political party founded in 2014 by two former PvdA members of parliament. It focuses on anti-discrimination and integration, and draws much of its support from voters with a migration background.
Groep Markuszower
The Groep Markuszower is a parliamentary group in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of the Dutch States General. It is made up of MPs who sit together under this name and, like other groups, can put questions to ministers and take part in debates. Its MPs act as a group when they table questions on government policy.
Adviescollege ICT-toetsing
The Adviescollege ICT-toetsing is an independent Dutch advisory body that reviews large government ICT projects. It assesses whether these projects are feasible and well managed, and advises the responsible ministers and the Tweede Kamer. Its reviews are an important check on public spending on digital systems.