The Christen Democratisch & Vlaams (CD&V) party has urged Minister of Pensions Jan Jambon to ensure that sick leave is fully included as an equivalent period to avoid pension penalties in cases of early retirement.
During Thursday's weekly parliamentary session, CD&V MP Nahima Lanjri argued that this approach would also prevent women from having to prove they took maternity leave, which was not consistently recorded in the past.
Minister Jambon faced questions from MPs Kim De Witte (P v/d A – Workers Party) and Nahima Lanjri (CD&V) regarding equivalent periods considered for pension penalties.
Minimising the buren of proof on citizens
The current system deducts pensions from early retirees who have insufficient working days. However, determining the reasons for non-working periods has proved challenging, particularly for older cases like maternity leave, temporary unemployment, or care leave in the 1980s and 1990s, which were often poorly documented.
Jambon explained that alternative data sources, such as family composition records or health insurance databases, are being explored to bridge these gaps. He underscored the government’s commitment to minimising the burden of proof on citizens.
While an article in the pension law allows citizens to provide proof themselves, Jambon stressed that this should not imply leaving people to fend for themselves. He further affirmed the administration’s intention to count all forms of maternity leave entirely as equivalent periods.
Sickness correction mechanism
Discussions within the government about equalising periods of long-term illness with working days for early retirement penalties are ongoing, Jambon said. He added that the proposal for a “sickness correction” mechanism would also be considered.
Jambon noted, however, that it would not be fair to categorise all non-working periods as equivalent to active work or care responsibilities. He warned that doing so could undermine the social essence of the pension reform. Jambon remarked that people’s motives for not working were sometimes sabbaticals or extended world trips.
Kim De Witte (Pv/dA) reacted sharply to his remarks. “That’s not what this is all about,” she countered, insisting that the issue revolved around people with serious illnesses, work accidents, or occupational diseases, not leisure choices.
CD&V’s Nahima Lanjri reinforced her party’s position, calling for equality between maternity leave and sick leave when counting equivalent periods. “Our solution is clear: treat maternity and illness periods as equal to working days,” she said. “This addresses two injustices at once—preventing penalties for the sick and for women. No woman should ever need to prove she was on maternity leave, as both will count.”
