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Belgium
| Total population (m.): | 10.7 |
| GDP per capita (USD): | 34935 |
Old Age, Disability and Survivors
Regulatory Framework
First laws: 1900 (old-age) and 1944 (disability).
Current laws: 1967 (Royal decree No. 50 of 24 October, on old-age and survivor pensions for employees); 1994 (Coordinating Law of 14 July, on mandatory health insurance and benefits); 2001 (Law of 22 March, on guaranteed income for the elderly).
Type of program: Social insurance system.
Current laws: 1967 (Royal decree No. 50 of 24 October, on old-age and survivor pensions for employees); 1994 (Coordinating Law of 14 July, on mandatory health insurance and benefits); 2001 (Law of 22 March, on guaranteed income for the elderly).
Type of program: Social insurance system.
Coverage
Employed persons; special provisions for miners and seamen.
Special systems for self-employed persons and civil servants.
Special systems for self-employed persons and civil servants.
Source of funds
Insured person: 7.5% of reference earnings. Pensioners and prepensioners contribute from 0.5% to 2.0% of the pension or prepension. (The prepension is paid under Unemployment to insured persons aged 60 or older with at least 30 years (men) or 26 years (women) of employment.)
Reference earnings are 100% of the insured's gross earnings for white-collar workers and 108% of the insured's gross earnings for blue-collar workers.
The insured's contributions finance old-age and survivor pensions. Disability pensions and funeral grants are financed under Sickness and Maternity.
If the insured person and employer are affiliated with all branches of social security, a global contribution is paid to the National Social Security Office and split according to each branch's needs. The global contribution rate is 37.84% of reference earnings (13.07% is paid by the employee and 24.77% by the employer).
Self-employed person: Not applicable.
Employer: 8.86% of reference earnings.
Reference earnings are 100% of the insured's gross earnings for white-collar workers and 108% of the insured's gross earnings for blue-collar workers.
The employer's contributions finance old-age and survivor pensions. Disability pensions and funeral grants are financed under Sickness and Maternity.
If the insured person and employer are affiliated with all branches of social security, a global contribution is paid to the National Social Security Office and split according to each branch's needs. The global contribution rate is 37.84% of reference earnings (13.07% is paid by the employee and 24.77% by the employer).
Government: Annual subsidies.
Reference earnings are 100% of the insured's gross earnings for white-collar workers and 108% of the insured's gross earnings for blue-collar workers.
The insured's contributions finance old-age and survivor pensions. Disability pensions and funeral grants are financed under Sickness and Maternity.
If the insured person and employer are affiliated with all branches of social security, a global contribution is paid to the National Social Security Office and split according to each branch's needs. The global contribution rate is 37.84% of reference earnings (13.07% is paid by the employee and 24.77% by the employer).
Self-employed person: Not applicable.
Employer: 8.86% of reference earnings.
Reference earnings are 100% of the insured's gross earnings for white-collar workers and 108% of the insured's gross earnings for blue-collar workers.
The employer's contributions finance old-age and survivor pensions. Disability pensions and funeral grants are financed under Sickness and Maternity.
If the insured person and employer are affiliated with all branches of social security, a global contribution is paid to the National Social Security Office and split according to each branch's needs. The global contribution rate is 37.84% of reference earnings (13.07% is paid by the employee and 24.77% by the employer).
Government: Annual subsidies.
Qualifying conditions
Old-age pension: Age 65 with at least 45 years of coverage (men and women).
Partial pension: Paid for an incomplete qualifying period.
Early pension: Age 60 with at least 35 years of coverage (men and women).
Vacation allowance: Paid annually to pensioners.
Special old-age pension (means-tested): Paid at age 60 to the divorced husband or wife of a retired person.
Means test: The income and individual pension of the divorced husband or wife is taken into consideration.
Guaranteed income for the elderly (means-tested): Paid to low-income elderly persons aged 65 or older.
Means test: Monthly income must not exceed €1,000 for a single person; €625 if cohabiting (family allowances, alimony, and certain other benefits are not included).
Disability pension: Paid for the loss of 66.7% of earning capacity in the usual occupation for at least 12 months. The insured must have been covered during the two quarters before the quarter in which the disability began, have completed 120 days of actual or credited work (or 400 hours for part-time workers), and met the legal requirements for a regular worker during the last 30 days before the disability began.
Survivor pension: Paid to a widow(er) aged 45 or older (any age if disabled or caring for a child) who was married to the deceased for at least 1 year; conditions are waived if a child was born during the marriage or if the death was the result of an accident.
The widow(er)'s pension ceases on remarriage.
Funeral grant: Paid on the insured's death.
Partial pension: Paid for an incomplete qualifying period.
Early pension: Age 60 with at least 35 years of coverage (men and women).
Vacation allowance: Paid annually to pensioners.
Special old-age pension (means-tested): Paid at age 60 to the divorced husband or wife of a retired person.
Means test: The income and individual pension of the divorced husband or wife is taken into consideration.
Guaranteed income for the elderly (means-tested): Paid to low-income elderly persons aged 65 or older.
Means test: Monthly income must not exceed €1,000 for a single person; €625 if cohabiting (family allowances, alimony, and certain other benefits are not included).
Disability pension: Paid for the loss of 66.7% of earning capacity in the usual occupation for at least 12 months. The insured must have been covered during the two quarters before the quarter in which the disability began, have completed 120 days of actual or credited work (or 400 hours for part-time workers), and met the legal requirements for a regular worker during the last 30 days before the disability began.
Survivor pension: Paid to a widow(er) aged 45 or older (any age if disabled or caring for a child) who was married to the deceased for at least 1 year; conditions are waived if a child was born during the marriage or if the death was the result of an accident.
The widow(er)'s pension ceases on remarriage.
Funeral grant: Paid on the insured's death.
Cash benefits for insured workers (except permanent disability)
Old-age pension: The full pension is 60% of average lifetime earnings (75% for a married couple). Past earnings are adjusted to reflect wage and price changes.
For each year of the insured's career, the minimum adjusted earnings for benefit calculation purposes are €19,131.53.
For each year of the insured's career, the maximum adjusted earnings for benefit calculation purposes are €46,895.18.
The minimum annual pension is €12,058.41 for a single person with a full contribution record; €15,068.27 a year for a married couple. For workers with at least 66.7% of a full contribution record under the salaried workers' scheme, a proportionately reduced minimum pension is awarded.
Partial pension: A reduced pension is paid according to the number of years of coverage less than that required for a full career record.
Early pension: Calculated in the same way as the old-age pension.
Vacation allowance: €568.80 is paid annually in May for a single person; €711.01 for a couple.
Special old-age pension (means-tested): The pension is half the former spouse's pension based on 75% of average lifetime earnings minus any pension income earned by the divorced person in his or her own right.
Means test: Income must not exceed €1,000 a month for a single person; €625 a month if cohabiting (family allowances, alimony, and certain other benefits are not included).
Guaranteed income for the elderly (means-tested): €892.99 a year is paid for a single person; €595.33 a year if cohabiting.
Means test: Income must not exceed €1,000 a month for a single person; €625 a month if cohabiting (family allowances, alimony, and certain other benefits are not included).
Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted periodically according to changes in the retail price index.
For each year of the insured's career, the minimum adjusted earnings for benefit calculation purposes are €19,131.53.
For each year of the insured's career, the maximum adjusted earnings for benefit calculation purposes are €46,895.18.
The minimum annual pension is €12,058.41 for a single person with a full contribution record; €15,068.27 a year for a married couple. For workers with at least 66.7% of a full contribution record under the salaried workers' scheme, a proportionately reduced minimum pension is awarded.
Partial pension: A reduced pension is paid according to the number of years of coverage less than that required for a full career record.
Early pension: Calculated in the same way as the old-age pension.
Vacation allowance: €568.80 is paid annually in May for a single person; €711.01 for a couple.
Special old-age pension (means-tested): The pension is half the former spouse's pension based on 75% of average lifetime earnings minus any pension income earned by the divorced person in his or her own right.
Means test: Income must not exceed €1,000 a month for a single person; €625 a month if cohabiting (family allowances, alimony, and certain other benefits are not included).
Guaranteed income for the elderly (means-tested): €892.99 a year is paid for a single person; €595.33 a year if cohabiting.
Means test: Income must not exceed €1,000 a month for a single person; €625 a month if cohabiting (family allowances, alimony, and certain other benefits are not included).
Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted periodically according to changes in the retail price index.
Permanent disability benefits for insured workers
Disability pension: The benefit is 65% of reference earnings if the insured has dependents; 40% if the insured cohabits but has no dependents; 55% if the insured lives alone. The pension is paid after 1 year of incapacity.
Reference earnings are the salary the insured would have received on the date the disability began.
The maximum daily earnings for benefit calculation purposes are €113.98 if the disability began before January 1, 2005; €116.26 if the disability began between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2006; €117.42 if the disability began between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2008; €118.36 if the disability began on or after January 1, 2009.
The minimum daily pension for a regular worker is €48.30 if the insured has dependents; €33.14 if the insured cohabits but has no dependents; €38.65 if the insured lives alone. If the insured does not meet the legal requirements for a regular worker, the minimum daily pension is €27.91 with no dependents; €37.22 with dependents.
The maximum daily pension depends on the date the disability began.
Reference earnings are the salary the insured would have received on the date the disability began.
The maximum daily earnings for benefit calculation purposes are €113.98 if the disability began before January 1, 2005; €116.26 if the disability began between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2006; €117.42 if the disability began between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2008; €118.36 if the disability began on or after January 1, 2009.
The minimum daily pension for a regular worker is €48.30 if the insured has dependents; €33.14 if the insured cohabits but has no dependents; €38.65 if the insured lives alone. If the insured does not meet the legal requirements for a regular worker, the minimum daily pension is €27.91 with no dependents; €37.22 with dependents.
The maximum daily pension depends on the date the disability began.
Survivors benefits for dependents
Survivor pension: The widow(er) receives 80% of the pension the deceased received or would have been entitled to receive.
The minimum annual pension is €11,868.82 if the deceased was insured with a full contribution record. For survivors of insured persons with at least 66.7% of the full contribution record, a proportionately reduced minimum pension is awarded.
The survivor pension plus the widow(er)'s own pension entitlement must not exceed 110% of the value of his or her own pension entitlement.
A noneligible widow(er) receives a survivor pension for a limited period of 12 months.
Vacation allowance: €568.80 is paid annually in May.
Funeral grant: A lump sum of €148.74 is paid.
Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted periodically according to changes in the retail price index (except for the funeral grant).
The minimum annual pension is €11,868.82 if the deceased was insured with a full contribution record. For survivors of insured persons with at least 66.7% of the full contribution record, a proportionately reduced minimum pension is awarded.
The survivor pension plus the widow(er)'s own pension entitlement must not exceed 110% of the value of his or her own pension entitlement.
A noneligible widow(er) receives a survivor pension for a limited period of 12 months.
Vacation allowance: €568.80 is paid annually in May.
Funeral grant: A lump sum of €148.74 is paid.
Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted periodically according to changes in the retail price index (except for the funeral grant).
Administrative organization
Social Security Federal Public Service (http://www.socialsecurity.fgov.be) provides general supervision.
Social Security Public Federal Service
Centre Administratif Botanique,
Finance Tower,
Boulevard du Jardin Botanique 50, boîte 100
1000-Brussels,
Belgium
Tel.: +32 (0)2 528 6011
National Social Security Office (http://www.onss.be) collects and administers contributions.
National Social Security Office
Place Victor Horta, 11,
1060-Brussels,
Belgium
Tel.: +32 (0)2 509 3111
Fax: +32 (0)2 509 3019
National Pensions Office (http://www.onprvp.fgov.be) administers old-age and survivor pensions and is responsible for the financial management of the program.
National Pensions Office
Tour du Midi
B - 1060-Brussels,
Belgium
Tel. : +32 (0)2 529 3001
National Sickness and Invalidity Insurance Institute (http://www.inami.fgov.be) administers disability pensions.
National Sickness and Invalidity Insurance Institute
Avenue de Tervueren 211,
1150-Brussels,
Belgium
Tel.: +32 (0)2 739 7111
Fax: +32 (0)2 739 7605
Social Security Public Federal Service
Centre Administratif Botanique,
Finance Tower,
Boulevard du Jardin Botanique 50, boîte 100
1000-Brussels,
Belgium
Tel.: +32 (0)2 528 6011
National Social Security Office (http://www.onss.be) collects and administers contributions.
National Social Security Office
Place Victor Horta, 11,
1060-Brussels,
Belgium
Tel.: +32 (0)2 509 3111
Fax: +32 (0)2 509 3019
National Pensions Office (http://www.onprvp.fgov.be) administers old-age and survivor pensions and is responsible for the financial management of the program.
National Pensions Office
Tour du Midi
B - 1060-Brussels,
Belgium
Tel. : +32 (0)2 529 3001
National Sickness and Invalidity Insurance Institute (http://www.inami.fgov.be) administers disability pensions.
National Sickness and Invalidity Insurance Institute
Avenue de Tervueren 211,
1150-Brussels,
Belgium
Tel.: +32 (0)2 739 7111
Fax: +32 (0)2 739 7605
Last survey reply: 01 January 2010
Last ISSA update: 01 January 2010
Exchange rate: US$1.00 equals 0.70 euros (€).