Professional freight transport: RVU scheme

The RVU (Early Retirement Scheme) for people in a difficult profession

Just at the last minute before the new year, the RVU has been declared universally binding. As a result of the Pension Agreement, a possibility has been created for people in difficult occupations to stop working earlier. This scheme applies from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025. An employee in a heavy profession can take early retirement voluntarily and receive a benefit up to a maximum of 36 months before the state pension age. But be aware, this is a temporary arrangement and there are quite a few conditions attached. De Unie In any case, we advise you to be well informed and to be well informed, especially in the financial field.

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If you qualify for this scheme, your employer will pay you an amount every month up to your state pension. The government has temporarily stopped the fine on the dismissal of older employees for this situation. You can see it as a redundancy scheme, as it were.

What are the conditions to participate in this scheme?

Employees who work in a demanding profession and who are a maximum of 1 months before the state pension age in the period from 2022 January 31 to 2025 December 36 can appeal to this scheme if they meet the conditions set. Read below how budget monitoring takes place and what the conditions are.

• You will be working in the sector on January 1, 2021.
• Your date of birth is between 1.1.1955 and 1.10 1961.
• You can participate a maximum of 36 months prior to your state pension age. The period can be shorter if you so choose.
• At the time of application, you must have worked in a heavy profession in the industry for at least 1 year and have worked in the industry for at least 20 years. This does not have to be consecutive.
• A demanding profession is an operational position classified in job grades A to E. The hourly wage is no more than 16,63 euros (2021). The crane operator classified in function group F is also a tough profession. The hourly wage is then a maximum of 18,07 euros (2021)
• An operational function includes: drivers, logistics and warehouse employees, forklift drivers, crane operators, couriers, movers and employees working in the technical service.
• The amount of the RVU benefit is the amount that applies for the year of participation. For 2021 this amount is 1.847, = gross per month.
• Once you participate in the scheme, the RVU benefit is guaranteed for the period of participation.
• Whether the RVU benefit is indexed depends on the financial situation of the Foundation (conditional indexation). This is determined annually.
• If you work part-time before you participate in the scheme, the RVU benefit will be pro rata to the average part-time percentage of the last 5 years prior to your application.
• You stop working completely. To this end, you terminate your employment with the employer in good time. When participating, you are therefore not allowed to work as an employee or as a self-employed person in or outside the sector. You will be checked periodically to see if you meet these requirements. If it turns out that you have not completely stopped working, the benefit will stop and the benefit received, which was paid after the violation, can be reclaimed.
• By participating, you declare that you are not applying for unemployment benefits. If it turns out that you are still applying for unemployment benefits, the benefits will stop and the benefits received, which were paid after the violation, can be reclaimed.
• It is not possible to participate partially in the RVU scheme.
• Volunteering is allowed, but only at an expense. This is subject to the conditions set by the tax authorities for voluntary work.
• You apply for the RVU benefit at least 1 month and at most 6 months before the commencement date. For employees who want to participate in 2022, a shorter application period applies to respect the requested start date.
• If you unexpectedly die before the AOW date, the scheme will stop. Your surviving dependents will still receive the benefit from the day of death up to and including the last day of the 2nd month after the month in which the death occurred.
• If you receive a (partial) WGA benefit, you can participate in the scheme insofar as you receive wages from work in addition to your benefit. If you receive an IVA benefit, you cannot participate in the RVU,
• The financial situation of the Foundation is evaluated annually.
• If it turns out that the financial situation is insufficient, the following applies to NEW participants:
  – That you must have worked in the sector for at least 20 years of service instead of 25.
  – and if that is not enough, you can participate for a shorter period.
• If the evaluation shows that the financial situation of the Foundation allows this, the foundation board will consult for NEW participants about further expenditure, such as reducing the number of years of service required to make use of the scheme or otherwise broadening the target group.
• A leniency committee will be set up to assess whether borderline cases can participate in the scheme.

 Government Gazette 2021, 46421 | Overheid.nl > Official announcements (officielebekendmakingen.nl)