Former senators Erik Matthijs and Hugo Vandenberghe (CD&V) go to court against pension ceiling: “What’s wrong with a pension you paid for?”

Seven ex-senators are going to the French-speaking corporate court in Brussels against the Senate’s pension fund. They want to challenge the capping of their pensions, writes L’Echo Tuesday. Among them also CD&V members Erik Matthijs and Hugo Vandenberghe.

After the fuss about pensions for parliamentarians, the Senate put an end to the cumulation of pensions. This allowed senators to exceed the ceiling set at 7,813 euros gross per month by 20 percent. But not everyone agrees with that.

In addition to CD&V members Erik Matthijs and Hugo Vandenberghe, MR politicians François-Xavier de Donnea, Jacques Brotchi, Guy Saulmont and Pierre Hazette, and PS member Elie De Worme are now going to court to challenge the decision.

“My clients believe that they have been deprived of social rights for which they paid premiums,” says their lawyer Geoffroy Generet. According to him, this amounts to several hundred euros per month. “These rights have been withdrawn for reasons related to the spirit of the times, and morality is often cited. But what’s wrong with a pension you paid for?”

The case will go to trial in September. As a precautionary measure, the former senators will ask for the restoration of their social rights before the court decides later on the merits of the case, the lawyer said.