People receiving the living wage will soon be allowed to work more hours or follow vocational training, after the federal cabinet approved the change on Friday, ministers Anneleen Van Bossuyt and Frank Vandenbroucke said.
People on the living wage are already allowed to work part-time. At present, part of their earnings is disregarded when their benefit is calculated.
That exemption is currently a fixed amount. If someone earns more than that threshold, the exemption is lost.
Under the new rules, people who increase their working hours will still keep part of the exemption even if their income rises. The ministers said this should make it more worthwhile to take on more work.
“Step by step, it will therefore become more attractive to move into a job instead of remaining dependent on the living wage,” Van Bossuyt and Vandenbroucke said in a statement.
The period during which the exemption applies will also be shortened from three years to two. According to the ministers, this is intended to prevent people from remaining on the living wage and to help them fully integrate into society.
