Jobseekers with severe medical, mental, psychological or psychiatric (MMPP) illnesses will have a new status from 1 July, enabling them to receive unemployment or safety allowances.
Some 5,000 people whose health condition prevents them from receiving sickness allowances but considerably hampers their efforts to find jobs will be covered by the new status.
The MMPP status will be awarded by the regional employment services, based on the International Classification of Functioning Disability Health, for a period of two years, which can be renewed after a check-up.
Beneficiaries will receive an adapted accompaniment and will be placed in a situation of passive availability with regard to the labour market.
During that period, the applicant will have a right to a safety allowance whose amount will be equivalent to that of the integration allowance.
If he or she becomes available on the labour market, (s)he can receive this allowance for an additional period of up to two years to enable him or her to find work.
The new status will be introduced from 1 July 2019 and will take effect on 1 January 2020.
The Brussels Times
