The Flemish Government has decided that in future anyone claiming subsistence benefit will be obliged to register with the Flemish Employment and Vocational Training Service VDAB. The Flemish Government hopes that this will help more people on subsistence benefit find work and encourage local authorities that pay out the benefit via the local social services boards (OCMW) to push them more. Local authorities across Flanders will be given a total of 20 million euro to this end during this year and next.
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Flemish Government obliging those on subsistence benefit to register with the employment and vocational training service
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There are currently more that 40,000 people on subsistence benefit in Flanders. 22.5% of this groups fails to find employment within a year. This is despite a host of initiatives already in place to help them find work. Local social services boards (OCMW) are responsible for trying to steer people that are on subsistence benefit back to work. This is normally achieved by means of a personalised contract for social integration (GPMI). This is done for around 75% of those claiming subsistence benefit.
The Employment and Vocational Training Service (VDAB) has a role to play. A circular sent out by the federal authorities called on local authorities to register those on subsistence benefit with the relevant regional employment service. However, the measure to which local authorities have heeded this call is variable to say the least. Around 56% of those on subsistence benefit are currently registered with VDAB. In addition to this around 17,000 refugees that receive a payment equivalent to subsistence benefit are also registered with VDAB. Of the subsistence benefit claimants know to VDAB 40% have found work within a year.
Now the Flemish Employment Minister Jo Brouns (Christian democrat) and the Flemish Interior Minister Bart Somers (liberal) want to formalise the framework within which local authorities corporate with VDAB. They also intend to draft “objective guidelines”with regard to the definition of being unfit to work. Furthermore, the exchange of information between local social services boards and VDAB will be optimised. Local authorities will be given 1,000 euro for each people on subsistence benefit that they successfully help find work.