2023-05-19 07:14:00
In order to encourage more recipients of the social integration income (RIS) to work, the Flemish government has decided to oblige them to register with the VDAB, the Flemish counterpart of Forem and Actiris, the agency recently reported. Belgium. At the same time, the local authorities of Flanders will be encouraged to activate more beneficiaries of the integration income, in exchange for a global envelope of 20 million euros in 2023 and 2024, announced the Flemish Ministers of Interior Affairs, Bart Somers (Open VLD), and Labor, Jo Brouns (CD&V).
Of the more than 40,000 beneficiaries of the integration income in Flanders, 22.5% find a job following one year, despite active support towards employment for most of them. The CPAS are responsible for supporting beneficiaries of the integration income. The VDAB also plays its part. A federal circular obliges local administrations to register beneficiaries of the integration income with the regional employment services. But in practice, there are big differences between cities and municipalities. About 56% of Flemish recipients of the integration income are known to the VDAB.
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Reaching Ukrainians
Ministers Brouns and Somers want to consolidate the involvement of the VDAB. “So that more beneficiaries of the integration income can work, we want to enshrine the obligation to register with the VDAB in a decree and we will draw up objective guidelines for the CPAS to determine who is fit for work and who is not. In this way, we will also reach Ukrainian refugees in Flanders”, said Mr. Brouns. The CPAS and municipalities can choose to activate the beneficiaries of the integration income themselves or to call on the VDAB for this activation.
Will the Brussels and Walloon regions introduce the same obligation for minimum tax workers to register with the regional employment office?
The Brussels imbroglio
Asked by Free, the cabinet of Alain Maron (Écolo), Brussels Minister in charge of Social Action, refers us to the federal government as well as to the Brussels Minister for Employment, Bernard Clerfayt (Défi). Contacted on the same subject, the Clerfayt cabinet indicates that it is not competent to implement this provision, unlike Minister Maron…
On the merits, Minister Défi’s office stresses, however, that “the Flemish employment market is in great tension and in search of labour. What differs from our Region. The Brussels labor market is not at all structured in the same way”. Nevertheless, continues the firm Clerfayt, “such an arrangement makes it possible to be able to reach certain inactive people, which provides support towards employment”.
More prosaically, the Brussels Minister for Employment observes that “Actiris is not equipped to support all social assistance recipients. But there already exists in the Brussels Region a partnership agreement between Actiris and the CPAS to frame and articulate the policy of socio-professional integration”.
The Walloon recipe
In Wallonia, the Minister of Employment and Social Action Christie Morreale (PS) shares the Flemish concern to employ as many RIS beneficiaries as possible, but “our recipe is different”, explains his spokesperson. “As part of the reform of support for job seekers, we have provided specific support for certain groups who are further away from employment, such as NEETS (”Not in Education, Employment, or Training” : people who are neither in school, nor employed, nor in training, Editor’s note). We are also working to improve support for unemployed people by the CPAS and we have provided an envelope of 13 million euros to strengthen the staff dedicated to employment in the CPAS. Recruitment is ongoing.” The obligation to register the beneficiaries of the RIS in the Forem is therefore not on the agenda.
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