This will change for your wallet in April: higher minimum wage, adjustment of LEZ zones and more flexi-jobs

Anyone who charges their electric car at a public charging station will have more clarity about the cost. This is a consequence of European rules – Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation – that will come into effect on April 13. Firstly, there will be price transparency at pole level. As an EV driver, you will be able to see how much it costs before charging. Secondly, there will be more ad hoc payment options. You will therefore not only be able to pay for your charge via a charging card or an app, but also via Bancontact.

The minimum wage will increase by 35.7 euros to 2,029.88 euros gross per month on April 1. This means it is above 2,000 euros for the first time. Due to a reduction in taxes, the net increase amounts to 50 euros. The increase, which is on top of the indexation, was agreed upon during the 2021 interprofessional negotiations. The first increase took place two years ago. In two years, the wage will be increased by another 35.7 euros. According to Minister of Labor Pierre-Yves Dermagne (PS), the minimum wage has increased net by approximately 400 euros since October 2020, including automatic wage indexations.

The costs for the KBC Plus account will increase from 3.25 to 3.75 euros per month. The Plus Account is a package with a current account, two debit cards, credit cards, access to online banking, the option of cash withdrawals at the counter and at ATMs and a digital safe. It had been since 2021 that KBC had made the bill more expensive. It is free for young people up to 24 years old.

The peddling card, which is mandatory for door-to-door salespeople and sellers at markets, will be abolished in Flanders. The abolition is part of a Flemish decree that updates the rules surrounding street trading and fair activities. According to Minister of Work Jo Brouns (CD&V), the intervention also fits in with administrative simplification. From now on, the activities that the company has registered in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (CBE) will be taken into account. Anyone who has not yet registered activities in that database that allow market and street trading must take action.

Anyone renting out a place through Airbnb must remove all security cameras or recording equipment in the home before April 30, even if they are turned off. Restrictions also apply to the external cameras. This should limit the risk of voyeurism.

In Antwerp, the low emission zone (LEZ) is becoming stricter. From April 27, hybrid vehicles with a CO₂ emission of up to 50 grams/kilometer will no longer have unlimited access to the LEZ. Just like with a vehicle with a normal combustion engine, the Euro standard determines whether a hybrid is welcome in the LEZ.

Some social corrections will come into effect in Ghent from April 27. Certain people, such as recognized informal caregivers with a social rate, persons with disabilities or parents of a child with a disability, are given unconditional access to the LEZ.

In Flanders, flexi-jobs are becoming possible in some additional sectors. This concerns sectors for which the Flemish government is competent, such as childcare, education and the public sports and culture sector. Other sectors, such as agriculture and horticulture, are excluded.

Anyone who has been dismissed due to medical force majeure and is incapacitated for work can apply to the Back to Work fund. This offers the opportunity to find a new job through career guidance and personalized coaching. The fund was set up by the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (RIZIV). Employers who terminate the contract of an incapacitated employee due to medical force majeure must deposit 1,800 euros into the fund.

Anyone who has been fired can contact the RIZIV and receive a voucher of 1,800 euros. “They can use this to purchase a specialized, tailor-made service from a recognized service provider,” says the RIZIV.

In subsidized childcare in Flanders, more priority is given to working parents. The controversial measure is being challenged in the Constitutional Court. Daycare centers can still reserve a maximum of 10 percent of their places for children from vulnerable families instead
of 20 percent. The Flemish government wants to give priority to parents who work or train for at least four fifths.