The De Wever I government is limiting unemployment benefit in time to a maximum of two years. According to figures from federal employment minister Clarinval (Francophone liberal/MR) requested by daily De Standaard this could affect more than 100,000 people.
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Unemployment benefit to be time limited: who could lose their benefit?
Colin Clapson
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The federal government is counting on the savings worth 900 million euros next year and as much as 1.9 billion euros by 2029 by limiting the duration of unemployment benefit to a maximum of two years for most. Employment minister Clarinval hopes to table the legislation in parliament before the summer recess.
The coalition agreement and Mr Clarinval's recent policy statement already provide insight into how the new system will work in practice. Not all unemployed will be affected. If you are over 55 and have worked at least 30 years of at least 156 days a year, your benefit will not be limited in time.
In addition, the duration of your benefit will depend on how much you have worked in previous years. Anyone who has worked for one year in the 3 previous years is entitled to a one-year unemployment benefit. Each tranche of 4 additional months of work then entitles you to an additional month of benefit. Claimants who have worked for 5 years are entitled to the maximum duration of unemployment benefit: 2 years.
But how many people now risk losing their unemployment benefit?
Mr Clarinval’s office has asked state employment agency RVA for figures on how many 18- to 55-year-olds of today's claimants have been unemployed for more than 2 years. Of Belgium’s 319,000 unemployed, exactly 100,102 claimants have been on the dole for over two years. About half have actually been unemployed for more than 5 years.
Almost half of these 100,000 unemployed - 46,580 people to be precise - live in Wallonia (381 of them in the German-speaking community). About a quarter come from Brussels and another quarter from Flanders.
The municipalities with the highest percentages of unemployed who could lose their benefits are mainly in Brussels: Sint-Gillis (3.29 per cent), Sint-Joost (2.98 per cent), Vorst (2.83 per cent), Molenbeek (2.62 per cent). Walloon cities and municipalities like Quiévrain (2.3 per cent), Liège (2.23 per cent) and Charleroi (2.14 per cent) are also quite high up on that list. The first Flemish municipality is Blankenberge, in 79th place (1.19 per cent).
Belgium also boasts 15,819 claimants (under 55) have been unemployed for more than 10 years. And 1,952 people have even been so for more than 20 years.