© MARC HERREMANS – MEDIAHUIS
The group of people who automatically receive an increased allowance will be expanded. The Christian Mutuality (CM) reported this on Tuesday. This concerns single people or people who do not live with anyone other than a parent, child, brother or sister.
Those who receive an increased allowance pay less for healthcare. For example, the co-payment, the amount that the patient pays out of his own pocket when visiting the GP, is only 1 euro instead of 4 euros for someone with an increased allowance. With an increased allowance you can also use public transport more cheaply and you are eligible for the social energy rate.
The Insurance Committee of the Riziv approved on Monday the draft Royal Decree that expands the group that automatically receives the increased compensation. This concerns single people or people who do not live with anyone other than a parent, child, brother or sister. Soon they will no longer have to take the first step in the application procedure themselves. Furthermore, the criteria for qualifying for an increased allowance will not change.
“If people in this situation are incapacitated for work or unemployed for three months, we look at their financial situation in databases. Do they have no income other than their benefits? We will then automatically grant the increased compensation,” explains CM chairman Luc Van Gorp. “As a result, members do not have to cross the threshold themselves to find out whether they are eligible. Admitting that you are in financial trouble and applying for support measures: people do not do that so easily.”
Today, almost 15 percent of CM members are entitled to an increased allowance. The draft Royal Decree must still be approved by the federal government. In any case, the measure will also be evaluated in due course. “Hopefully we can then expand the target group,” says Van Gorp.
