Almost 4,800 long-term unemployed people have already filed lawsuits with the labour courts against the loss of their benefits, De Standaard reported on Wednesday.
The College of Courts and Tribunals recorded that 4,794 long-term unemployed people have lodged complaints with labour courts.
Labour courts typically handle fewer than 2,000 unemployment-related disputes annually, highlighting the unprecedented surge in cases.
In contrast, nine labour courts in Belgium together register fewer than 2,000 disputes regarding unemployment annually.
The labour court in Liège alone has more than 2,300 lawsuits filed so far. Henegouwen follows with 711 cases, and Antwerp has received 462 submissions.
More lawsuits are to follow, as unemployed individuals have up to three months to appeal after receiving a letter from the National Employment Office (RVA) detailing the termination date of their benefits.
The first letters were sent in September, and appeals have been steadily pouring in since. Because the letters are sent in several waves, the number of appeals will continue to rise.
Since 1 January, nearly 86,000 long-term unemployed people have lost their benefits.
