Coronavirus: ONEm/RVA grants a single premium to certain unemployed persons

One of the new measures adopted by the Government in mid-February is the granting by the ONEm/RVA of a single premium - called a protection premium - to certain unemployed persons with low wages.

An employee is entitled to this single premium if he:

• has received more than 52 full and/or half temporary unemployment benefits for force majeure due to the coronavirus crisis or for economic reasons during the period from 1 March 2020 to 31 December 2020 inclusive;
• is employed on 1 March 2021 by an employer who is obliged to close on 1 March 2021 by government decision.

The amount of this premium is obtained by applying the following formula:

78 x the daily amount X

X is calculated on the basis of the remuneration bracket fixed on 1 March 2021. It is a maximum of €10 but is limited to the difference between the full daily temporary unemployment benefit and the full daily benefit for the temporary unemployed person whose remuneration is included in the remuneration bracket 77.

The remuneration bracket 77 corresponds to a gross monthly salary of €2,754.76.

The maximum amount of this premium is €780.

This premium is considered as a temporary unemployment benefit.

On its ow initiative, the ONEm/RVA sends to the paying agency a benefit card for employees who meet the conditions and who are employed by an employer:

• with a Nace code 55.1, 55.2, 56.1 or 56.3 which comes under the JC 302 for the horeca sector;
• or who belongs to the JC for the entertainment sector
• or with a NACE code 59.140, 82.3, 90.0, 93.130, 93.21 or 93.291.

If the employee meets the conditions but is employed by an employer who does not fall under these JCs and/or Nace codes, he must apply for this premium himself via his paying agency. This application must be made via a form established by the ONEm/RVA within 12 months of the entry into force of this measure, i.e. 10 April 2021.

Source: Royal Decree of 28 March 2021 on the granting of a single premium for temporary unemployed persons with low wages employed in a sector where activities had to be stopped by order of the authorities, Belgian Official Gazette of 31.03.2021