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Pensions minister calls for minimum pension from 20 years

15:01 11/02/2016

Pensions minister Daniel Bacquelaine is working on a bill that entitles workers in Belgium to receive a minimum pension after a career of 20 years, instead of the current 30 years. The plan would take effect from 2018, write De Tijd and L'Echo.

The minimum pension in Belgium currently requires a career of at least 30 years. Those 30 years may include periods of work as an employee or independent, but also assimilated periods in which a person does not work but still accrues pension rights, such as during unemployment or parental leave.

"We want to ensure that everyone with a minimum period of actual work done, for example 20 years, is entitled to the minimum pension, especially when they are just shy of meeting the requirement for a 30-year career," Bacquelaine told the newspapers.

The minister also wants to grant more pension rights to workers with a mixed career, and therefore proposes that all periods of work count towards career length. As it is now, years worked as a civil servant can not be added to the years worked as an employee or self-employed.

Written by Robyn Boyle