System of unemployment with company supplement: indexation of the amounts on 1 June 2016

Author: Author: Brigitte Dendooven
Read time: 3min
Publication date: 17/06/2016 - 14:00
Latest update: 10/05/2019 - 09:22

On 1 June 2016, the social security benefits have been indexed at 2%.
As a result of this indexation, the following amounts of the system of unemployment with company supplement have been adjusted:
- the amount of the company supplement (formerly called the bridging pension allowance) and the unemployment benefit;
- the reference wage for calculating the company supplement;
- the thresholds for the application of the 6.5% contribution due by the unemployed person receiving a company supplement.

Amount of the company supplement and the unemployment benefit

The indexation of social security benefits has an impact both on the unemployment benefit and on the company supplement.

Therefore, these two amounts must be indexed at 2%.

For the indexation of a non-statutory top-up allowance, if any, the agreement laying down the granting of this allowance must be verified and the agreed indexation system must be examined.

Since 1 June 2016, the reference wage for the calculation of unemployment benefits is limited to € 2,148.29 gross/month, or € 82.6266/day.

The maximum amount of the unemployment benefits is € 1,289.08/month, or € 49.58/day.  

Reference wage for calculating the company supplement

Since 1 June 2016, the gross wage to be taken into consideration for the calculation of the top-up bridging pension allowance is limited to € 3,862.50.

Thresholds for the application the 6.5% contribution

The bridging pension (unemployment benefits + company supplement+ non-statutory top-up allowance, if any) is not liable to normal social security contributions. However, a 6.5% social security for the NSSO, calculated on the total amount of the unemployment benefit and the (statutory and non-statutory) company supplement is due. This contribution is deducted of the top-up allowance by the debtor.

However, the application of the 6.5 % social security contribution may not cause the total amount of the bridging pension to fall below certain thresholds.

Since 1 June 2016, the thresholds for the application of this deduction are:

Unemployed person receiving company supplement without dependant (/month)

Unemployed person receiving company supplement with dependant (/month) (1)

€1,388.51

€1,672.48

(1)    The notion of 'dependant' (within the meaning of the unemployment legislation) is exclusively defined by the ONEm (national employment office) on the basis of a document presented to the employer and of which a copy must be provided to us. If not, the bridging pensioner is presumed to have no dependants.

Source: consumer price index, Belgian Official Gazette of 31 May 2016

Author: Brigitte Dendooven

17/06/2016

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