This study provides an extended insight in the social security context of temporal and permanent work incapacity in six European countries : Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It is primarily explorative and serves as a feasibility study for a quantative comparison across countries. The first part presents some indicative figures on labour forces, participation rates, absence and disability, social security expenditures etc. It examines work incapacity programmes, similarities and differences in the compensation of incapacity, as well additional programmers that effect participation, such as early retirement programmes, unemployment insurance, and rehabilitation and employmnent provisions. Finally, national and international data sources are discussed, highlighting programme-bound restrictions and comparability problems, in order to draw conclusions on prospects and strategies for cross-national research on work incapacity levels. Part V of the study gives a detailed overview of relevant arrangements, provisions and data sources for the six countries under examination (state of affairs per 1-1-1991).