Federal Poverty Reduction Plan

The Federal Poverty Reduction Plan – coordinated by the Secretary of State for Poverty Reduction, Jean-Marc Délizee, was approved by the Council of Ministers on 4 July 2008.

Although Belgium is a rich country, 1 in 7 Belgians lives below the poverty threshold. Confronted with this problem, the government has in its coalition agreement committed to pursue an ambitious policy to reduce poverty. The Plan, approved today, consists of 59 specific measures in the area of wages, work, health, housing, access to energy and government services. They are the following:

• 1. The OMNIO status will be simplified in view of automatic allocation; the situation of hospitals refusing patients because the latter can’t pay an advance sum, must be avoided; use of a medical card at OCMWs must be promoted, etc.
• 2. The social energy tariff that is meant to relieve poorer people's energy bill will be automated; operating with a third payer for energy–saving investments will be encouraged. The right to energy will be incorporated in the Constitution.
• 3. The aid (additional social advantages, mobility assistance) for unemployed people who are going back to work will be phased out.
• 4. There will be one single address for legal assistance and legal aid and efforts to simplify legal language will be started.
• 5. The project “a pc for € 100" will be continued and expanded to bridge the digital gap. Furthermore, the government will negotiate a reduced internet (adsl) tariff with the industry.

The government will also create a permanent barometer to measure poverty. The situation will be discussed at the council of ministers every three months. More hands-on experts will be added to the administrations. In view of the Belgian presidency of the European Union, the European Year for combating Poverty will be prepared together with organisations where the poor speak out. As an encouragement for all those who make an effort to combat poverty in our country day in day out, the government launches an annual prize. The plan confirms and specifies the government’s priority to increase buying power, particularly of the poor. This priority is part of the socio-economic measures that will be elaborated by the government.

Within this scope the government currently works on the following:

• An increase of the lowest social benefits;
• An increase of minimum pensions for both employees and self-employed people;
• A thirteenth month of child allowance;
• An increase of the lowest wages, on the basis of proposals from the social partners in the scope of the interprofessional agreement;
• Support of buying power through taxes;
• A strong employment policy; after all, employment is still the best protection against poverty.