Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
Belgium
comeguaranteefortheelderly;guaranteedfamilybenefitsandbenefitsfordis-
abledpersons.Inpractice,threewaysofinterveningintermsofprovidingbenefits
canbedistinguished:(a)incaseofwageloss(unemployment,retirement,incapac-
ityforwork),onewillobtainasubstitutionincome;(b)ifoneistobearspecificso-
cialcharges,suchasraisingchildrenorsicknesscosts,onewillreceiveanincome
supplement;and(c)ifindependentofone)sownwill,orincasesomeonedoesnot
haveaprofessionalincome,heorshewillreceiveanassistanceallowance(suchas
anintegrationincome).
TypicalfortheBelgiansystemisthewaysolidarityismadeconcrete:working
peoplepaysocialsecuritycontributionsbasedontheirsalary.Inthatsense,theso-
cialsecuritysystemislargelyfinancedbythecommunity,thatis,allthecitizens
asacollective;andthetradeunions,thehealthinsurancefunds(orCmutualin-
surancefunds))andtheemployers)organizationsco-decideaboutvariousaspects
ofthesystem.Notwithstandingthefactthatmostofthebenefitsandallowanc-
esarebeneaththeEU60%medianthreshold,theBelgiansocialprotectionsys-
temturnsouttobequiteeffective:withoutallsocialtransferstheat-risk-of-pov-
ertyratewouldamountto42%(EUSILC2013)comparedto15.1%afterallsocial
transfers.Theintegrationincome,forinstance,mountsupto75%forasingleper-
sonoreven64%foracouplewithtwochildren.
However,thefactremainsthatalargergroupofthepopulationisatriskof
endingupinpoverty.Inordertoaddressthis,socialpolicystrategiesaredevel-
opedatallpoliticallevels.TheBelgianstateconsidersanactivecommitmentof
socialpolicyonalltheselevelsasessential,duetothemulti-facetednatureofpov-
ertyandsocialexclusion,eachwithintheconstraintsoftheirmandateandcompe-
tences.Acriticalsuccessfactor,however,isthewaythesestrategiesandactionsare
integratedandlormutuallyreinforcing.InBelgium,alotofenergyisputintothe
coordinationofthedifferentpolicies.AgoodexampleistheCombatPoverty,In-
securityandSocialExclusionServicesetupbyauCooperationAgreementbetween
theFederalState,theCommunities,andtheRegionsconcerningthecontinuation
ofthePovertyReductionPolicy”in1998.ThisServicehasthefollowingtasks:
−
todrawupthestateofaffairs;
−
tosystematizeandanalyzeinformationaboutinsecurity,poverty,socialexclu-
sion,andaccesstorightsonthebasisofestablishedindicators;
−
tomakeconcreterecommendationsandproposalsinordertoimprovepolicy
andschemesforthepreventionofinsecurity,forthefightagainstpoverty,and
fortheintegrationofpeopleintosociety;
−
toprepareareportatleasteverytwoyears;
−
toissueattherequestofoneofthesignatoryparties,theInterministerialCon-
ferenceuIntegrationinSociety,”oronitsowninitiative,recommendations,or
toprepareinterimreportsonanyissuethatisrelatedtoanareathatbelongs
toitstasks;
−
toorganizeastructuraldialoguewithpeopleinpoverty.
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