Background:  

One of the announced objectives of the Belgian federal government in the coalition agreement (2025-2029) is to “enhance the value of citizenship” and “protect the social welfare system against abuse”. One of the proposed measures is to impose stricter conditions to access social assistance benefits (i.e. non-contributory, means-tested safety net of last resort for people who lack sufficient resources) and create incentives for newcomers to integrate (including by entering the labour market) as quickly as possible. To develop these new regulations, the Belgian government would like to learn more about the existing social assistance benefits for beneficiaries of international and temporary protection in other EMN Member and Observer Countries.  

Respondents:  

23 EMN Member Countries (including BE) provided public answers to this query.  

Findings:  

A preliminary analysis of the results of the ad hoc query shows:  

• About half of the responding countries indicate to not differentiate between beneficiaries of international and temporary protection, compared to other residents in their country, when it comes to accessing social assistance benefits. The other half of the responding countries indicate that there are differences in access to social assistance benefits for these groups of persons. 

• In countries where beneficiaries of temporary protection are subject to different social assistance benefits, such differences are primarily justified by the temporariness of their residence status and the different applicable legal regime. 

• Differences in access to social assistance benefits include differences in the amount granted, applicable waiting periods, maximum periods of receiving benefits as well as the types of social assistance benefits granted.   

• Only a few countries (BE, DE, LV, PL) indicate that there are plans or proposals to introduce (further) differentiation in the access to social assistance. 

• Some responses from EMN Member Countries indicate concerns with regard to equal treatment (EL, SE). 

For more information, please refer to the summary of responses above, and for full details, see the compilation of responses also attached above.