'End-of-career' time credit: the entitlement to benefits is retained after a thematic leave

Employees who received benefits for an 'end of career' time credit before 1 January 2015 can now retain their entitlement to an 'end of career' time credit with benefits after a thematic leave.

Why this new measure?

Since 1 January 2015, the entitlement to benefits when taking an 'end of career' time credit is granted from the age of 60 instead of the age of 55.

As a result, certain employees who had interrupted their time credit 'end-of-career' to take thematic leave (i.e. leave for providing palliative care, leave for taking care of a seriously ill family member or relative, parental leave) could not resume their 'end-of-career' time credit and be entitled to the benefits.

This situation has now been rectified.

Retention of entitlement to benefits: under what conditions?

An employee who has already received benefits under an 'end of career' time credit before 1 January 2015 and who submits a new application for an 'end of career’ time credit, retains his entitlement to benefits, provided that the following conditions are met:

• the entitlement to the benefits was temporarily interrupted due to a greater reduction in working hours than the reduction he enjoyed before 1 January 2015 or due to a suspension of working hours with a view to taking thematic leave;
• the new application relates to a reduction of the working hours identical to the reduction enjoyed by the employee before 1 January 2015.

This measure became effective on 01 April 2019.

Source: Royal Decree of 15 February 2019 amending the Royal Decree of  30 December 2014 amending the Royal Decree of 12 December 2001 for the implementation of chapter IV of the Act of 10 August 2001 on the reconciliation of employment and quality of life with regard to the schemes of time credit, reduction of the working week and reduction of the working time to a part-time job, Belgian Official Gazette of 01 April 2019.