2006

Abstract
This paper investigates the effects of intensified screening of disability insurance benefit applications. A large-scale experiment was setup where in 2 of the 26 Dutch regions case workersof the disability insurance administration were instructed to screen applications more intense. Theempirical results show that intense screening reduces long-term sickness absenteeism anddisability insurance applications. This provides evidence both for direct effects of the moreintensive screening on work resumption during sickness absenteeism and for self-screening bypotential disability insurance applicants. We do not find any spillover effects to the inflow intounemployment insurance. A cost-benefit analysis shows that the costs of the intensified screening are only a small fraction of its benefits.