More than half of the people who lost their unemployment benefits this year have applied for a guaranteed minimum income from their local Public Centres for Social Welfare (CPAS-OCMW), according to De Tijd.
The number is far above the one-in-three forecast made by the De Wever government.
Of the 99,166 long-term unemployed people who lost their benefits, 52,593 submitted an application for a guaranteed minimum income, according to figures from the Federal Public Planning Service for Social Integration.
More than 43,600 of those applications were approved. That means support was granted to 83% of applicants and to 44% of all those who lost their unemployment benefits.
When the De Wever government announced the unemployment benefit reform, Minister of Employment David Clarinval (MR) said he expected one in three people to apply for a minimum income.
In practice, the share has proved much higher across all regions: 42% in Flanders, 51% in Brussels and 59% in Wallonia.
Just over half of those now receiving a minimum income after losing their unemployment benefits are single people.
Around 31% have at least one dependent child, while just under 17% live in a shared household, for example with a partner or parents.
Previous reporting indicated a sharp increase in the number of people receiving unemployment benefits switching to incapacity-for-work benefits.
