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.

Employed persons; special provisions for miners and seamen.

Special systems for self-employed persons and civil servants.

Insured person: 7.5% of reference earnings (old age and survivors). Pensioners and prepensioners contribute from 0.5% to 2% of the pension or prepension. (See Unemployment.)

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.

See Sickness and Maternity for disability pensions and funeral grants.

Self-employed person: Not applicable.

Employer: 8.86% of reference earnings (old age and survivors).

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.

See Sickness and Maternity for disability pensions and funeral grants.

Government: Annual subsidies.

Old-age pension: Age 65 with at least 45 years of coverage.

Minimum guaranteed pension: At least 66.7% of a career based on the equivalent of 208 days of full-time work.

Partial pension: Age 65 if less than 45 years of coverage.

Early pension: Age 60 with at least 35 years of coverage (rising gradually to age 62 with 40 years of coverage from 2013 to 2016).

Vacation allowance: Paid to pensioners.

Special old-age pension (means-tested): Paid at age 60 to the divorced spouse of a pensioner.

Means test: The income and individual pension of the divorced spouse 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 excluded).

Disability pension: Paid for the loss of at least 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.

Regular workers generally work 38 hours a week; certain periods of inactivity may count toward meeting the requirement.

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 one 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.

Old-age pension: 60% of average lifetime earnings is paid (75% for a married couple if the spouse has no income). Past earnings are adjusted to reflect wage and price changes.

For each year of the insured's career, the minimum adjusted earnings used to calculate benefits are €21,326.67.

For each year of the insured's career, the maximum adjusted earnings used to calculate benefits are €47,960.29.

The minimum annual pension is €12,796 for a single person; €15,989.96 a year for a married couple.

Minimum guaranteed pension: The minimum pension is proportionately reduced according to the number of years of coverage. The minimum guaranteed pension may be paid if the amount of the partial pension is less than the minimum guaranteed pension

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: €591.75 is paid annually in May to a single person; €739.70 to a couple.

Special old-age pension (means-tested): 50% of the former spouse's pension is paid (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 excluded).

Guaranteed income for the elderly (means-tested): €953.30 a year is paid for a single person; €635.53 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 excluded).

Benefit adjustment: Benefits are adjusted periodically according to changes in the retail price index.

Disability pension: 65% of reference earnings is paid with dependents; 40% if the insured cohabits but has no dependents; 55% if the insured lives alone. The pension is paid after one year of incapacity.

Reference earnings are the salary the insured would have received on the date the disability began.

The maximum daily earnings used to calculate benefits depends on the date the disability began: before January 1, 2005, €118.58 from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2006, €120.95; from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2008, €122.16; €123.14 from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010, €123.14; on or after January 1, 2011, €124.

The minimum daily pension for a regular worker is €51.25 with dependents; €35.17 if the insured cohabits but has no dependents; €41.01 if the insured lives alone. If the insured does not meet the legal requirements for a regular worker, the minimum daily pension is €39.50 with no dependents; €29.62 with dependents.

Regular workers generally work 38 hours a week; certain periods of inactivity may count towards meeting the requirement.

The maximum daily pension depends on the date the disability began.

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 €12,594.81. 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 12 months.

Vacation allowance: €591.75 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).

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