The Belgian Government is going to improve the status of working informal carers, after an agreement made by De Wever government's core cabinet on Friday.
By improving this status, the government wants to make it easier to combine work and care, with more clarity and better protection for those who care for a loved one on a daily basis. The amendment is due to be finalised in the Chamber on Wednesday.
For informal caregivers who are currently unemployed and who will soon lose their benefits, the majority is seeking to find a suitable solution as quickly as possible.
The situation of informal carers has become more prominent on the agenda since the restriction of unemployment benefits.
This measure threatens to hit several informal caregivers hard. In the past, they often chose unemployment in order to take care of their family member or loved one, but now they would also lose that benefit.
On Thursday, Vooruit and MR came up with proposals to remedy the situation. How this will happen in practice is still unclear.
In a response to X, Minister of Employment David Clarinval (MR) emphasises that informal caregivers play an essential, often very demanding role in our society.
"Being an informal carer means bearing an enormous responsibility, often in the shadows, incessantly, and far too often without sufficient recognition. They bear a considerable human and social burden, which we must better recognise and support," he said.
