Government will index benefits and pensions, Minister Gennez wants to adjust Rusthuis prizes to a new measure

Today, benefits are adapted to the increased lifetime one month after the pivot index is exceeded. In the future that will be three months, Federal Minister of Asylum and Migration Anneleen van Bossuyt (N-VA) already answered questions in the Chamber on 12 March. « Through that period, savings can be achieved without touching the indexation mechanism, » she said.

According to VRT NWS, the federal government in the Easter agreement has decided to do so for pensions. An initiate confirms that story to the Belga news agency. The intention is to switch all indexations. The reform replaced two measures that were still on the table during government negotiations: a multiple index jump and the calculation of the index based on the average health index of the last 4 months instead of the last 12 months.

Residential care centers

Seniorenvereniging OKRA is concerned about the impact of the reform on pensions. According to calculations of the non -profit organization, the measure costs the average retired person for each index adjustment just under 70 euros.

Certainly for residents of residential care centers, it is a painful measure, says Okra. The daily prizes of those centers may be adjusted on the first day of the second month that follows the exceeding of the index. The adjustment of the pensions would only follow a month later.

In a reaction to the news and concern, Flemish Minister for Welfare Caroline Gennez (Vooruit) announces that she will ask the Flemish government to adapt the indexation of the daily prices of residential care centers to the slower indexation of pensions. « I will always protect the purchasing power of our retirement home residents, » she says. « For ahead, the principle is that pensions rise first and only then can the rest house prices rise sacred. »

Earlier on Wednesday, opposition party Groen already responded critically to the adjusted indexation. « Arizona is impoverished pensioners in residential care centers, » said Flemish MP Jeremie Vaneeckhout. « If the invoice for the residential care centers increases through the index, the pensions should also automatically follow, and not with unnecessary delay that people are chasing people. That you do apply the index fully if people have to pay, but not when people get something, is antisocial and hypocritical. That is not how the index works. »