New pension increase
BRUSSELS – 4th September 2015. As of today, pensioners receiving a minimum pension will benefit from a pension increase. This increase will come into effect following the decision on the allocation of the ‚well-being envelope‘ for 2015-2016.
Minister for Pensions Daniel BACQUELAINE : « together with my colleague Willy BORSUS I am pleased to see an increase in the sum allocated to the minimum pensions. Our seniors’ purchasing power will be reinforced and the risk of poverty mitigated. »
The minimum wages for employees and self-employed persons will be increased by 2%. Around 525,000 pensions will benefit from this rise. The basic amount of the Senior Income Guarantee (SIG) and the sums paid pursuant to guaranteed income for seniors will also be increased by 2%.
The following chart represents the evolution of the amounts pertaining to an entire career as an employee or a self-employed person and this depending on the family situation .
| Present amount | Amount as from 1st September
|
Minimum pension for employees with an entire career – single | 1,123.34 | 1,145.80 |
Minimum pension for employees with an entire career – with family upkeep | 1,403.73 | 1,431.80 |
Minimum pension for self-employed persons with an entire career – single | 1,070.94 | 1,092.36 |
Minimum pension for self-employed persons with an entire career – with family upkeep | 1,403.73 | 1,431.80 |
|
|
|
SIG – basic amount (cohabiting) | 674.46 | 687.95 |
SIG – basic amount (single) | 1,011.70 | 1,031.93
|
The pensions that have come into effect prior to 1995 will be increased by 1% and the pensions that have come into effect in 2010 will be increased by 2%. These increases will only be allocated on condition that the persons concerned do not receive a minimum pension, which – as mentioned above – was increased by 2%.
The well-being envelope centred on linking social security benefits to well-being has a budget of around 1 billion euros for 2015-2016. More than half of this budget is spent on pensions. This amount represents more than half of the sums paid out to pensions in 2013-2014. It is to be emphasized that contrary to the previous government this government has decided to spend 100% of the well-being envelope on social security benefits. The previous government only spent 60% of the well-being envelope.
In May pensioners already saw a rise in their holiday allowances. Compared to 2012 this represents a 15% increase.
As of 1st June 2015 the minimum pension for pensioners who have had a mixed career as an employee-self-employed person equals the minimum pension for employees who have had an entire career.
Both Daniel BACQUELAINE and Willy BORSUS stress that additional increases are imminent
As of 1st January 2016 the pensions which have come into effect in 2011 will be increased by 2%.
As from 1st August 2016 the differences between the minimum pension for employees and the minimum pension for self-employed persons will be erased.
Contact
Koen Peumans, spokesperson of Daniel Bacquelaine, Minister for Pensions
+32(0)473 81 11 06 - koen.peumans@bacquelaine.fed.be
Pauline Bievez, spokesperson of Willy Borsus, Minister of Small Businesses, Self-Employment, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Social Integration, entrusted with the regulation of the rail network and rail and air transport
+32(0)477 38 45 01 – pauline.bievez@borsus.fgov.be