Proposition 52K1434

Projet de loi modifiant l'article 131bis de la loi du 15 mai 1984 portant mesures d'harmonisation dans les régimes de pensions.

General information ¶

Submitted by

CD&V Leterme Ⅰ

Submission date

Sept. 16, 2008

Official page

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Status

Adopted

Requirement

Simple

Subjects

pension scheme survivor's benefit self-employed person

Voting ¶

Voted to adopt

Groen CD&V Vooruit Ecolo LE PS | SP Open Vld N-VA LDD MR FN VB

Party dissidents ¶

• Peter Luykx (CD&V) abstained from voting.

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Discussion ¶

Oct. 23, 2008 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)

Full source

Mr. Speaker, colleagues, at the meeting of the Committee on Business on 24 September we discussed a bill on measures for the harmonisation of pensions.

In particular, it is a proposal by the competent Minister Laruelle to increase the pensions of self-employed persons by 10 euros per month from 1 October 2008.

This proposal was discussed in the committee. This means for self-employed persons that from 1 October 2008 there would be a minimum pension based on a full career of 1,158 euros for families and 873,81 euros for single persons and persons with survival pension.

During the discussion, various points of view were discussed. Some parties, such as the Flemish Interest, advocate the division of social security and believe that this would give rise to an even higher benefit for self-employed. The majority of the other parties stress that these steps on self-employed pensions are merely a step in a process that has already begun.

This process was already started under the government-Verhofstadt. It has already taken several measures to equalize self-employed pensions with workers’ pensions and to make working for full-time self-employed valid and create greater stress for people with income based on benefits.

Nevertheless, all parties agree that further efforts need to be made. We have noted in the government statement that it intends to take a number of steps in 2009.

The Minister also explained this in the committee. More specifically, 20 euros would be allocated in May 2009 and another 10 euros in August 2009.

Finally, all parties unanimously approved this bill. I think this report sufficiently reflects the short but good discussions in the committee.

Mr. Speaker, dear colleagues, I would like to take advantage of the bill that is submitted to us and which aims to increase the pension of self-employed workers by 10 euros to return to the work done since 2003 in order to improve the social status of self-employed persons. I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the determination of Minister Laruelle.

Self-employed and SMEs are the economic heart of our society. By nature, the economic health of our country is directly associated with their performance. For too long, self-employed workers have been seen as tax and social security fraudsters. The self-employed and the persons exercising a liberal profession were, nevertheless, in an unfair situation.

The image of the rich self-employed, some of whom still want to overwhelm the self-employed, must be broken. Today, we know that one-third of self-employed people who reach the retirement age live below the poverty line. This situation is unacceptable, especially as we know the sacrifices necessary to maintain their activity: the number of hours spent, the infernal hours and the consequences for family life.

It was therefore imperative that the social status of independent workers should again be a government priority. It was high time for a new attention to those and those whose boldness is pushing our economy upwards. It was high time to give independent workers a social status worthy of their risk-taking. It was high time to taxally support those who create their own jobs and create others. And it was high time for self-employed and entrepreneurs to find in the political decisions that concern them the necessary mark of respect to which they are entitled.

Since 2003, the situation of self-employed workers has greatly improved through significant achievements. Whether it is administrative simplification or the establishment of support agencies, the necessary conditions have been created to support the spirit of initiative. The revaluation of pensions also contributes to these necessary conditions. We know, in fact, that many young people hesitate to start an independent activity for fear of the tomorrow: the prospect of a ridiculous pension in the face of a painful career does not encourage accountability.

I would like to briefly recall some of the efforts made since 2003.

Since 2003 and until 1 October 2008, the minimum pension of self-employed workers increased by 256 euros at the isolated rate and by 335 euros at the household rate, respectively.

In 2007, pensions that took place before 1987 were increased by 2% through the link to welfare. This was then the case for pensions that took place between 1988 and 2003 and finally for those that took place in 2003.

The difference between the minimum pension of an employed worker and that of a self-employed worker has been significantly reduced. It currently reaches 102 euros per month for an isolated and 61 euros for a household. This is still too much, of course, but the recovery continues as a new increase of 20 euros in the minimum pension is planned on 1 May 2009. The objective pursued and which we strongly support is to ⁇ equality between the two statutes by the end of the legislature. We can no longer accept the various inequalities between the statutes.

I therefore welcome the decision of our Assembly to revaluate the minimum pensions of self-employed workers. This is a sign, but we must go further, I repeat, toward a perfect equality of social status and an enhanced encouragement of the taste of undertaking.

Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Minister, colleagues, I would like to speak briefly to say on behalf of our group that we consider it important that there is a step – I admit that it is only a small step, which is 10 euros – further in the harmonisation of the minimum pensions, also for self-employed. We find that the entitled to a minimum pension and the self-employed with a minimum pension flirt with poverty. So they have difficulty. That is why we believe it is important that this harmonisation continues. Given the difficulties in terms of purchasing power, I think this is a first name signal, which we believe is important to continue working on.

The way in which the harmonisation takes place is also important to me, as it also reflects the strengthening of the first pillar in the pension system. With this and also with the next steps planned, this can in any case come to the point and be addressed globally in the whole discussion around the wealth resistance that we consider important not only for the workers but also concerning ⁇ ining and raising the minimum limits for self-employed.

Finally, I would like to point out a final point concerning the national pension conference at which you are also participating, Mrs. Minister, as well as the task force.

CD&V continues to consider it important that pensioners, based on their contributions and those of the government in the pension system, can effectively have the assurance that they can continue to live at a viable level. We consider it equally important that the affordability is taken into consideration, also in the long term. We should also dare to think over the long-term affordability of our pension system, with a set of contributions and grants from the government, whether those grants come from employer contributions, social security contributions or alternative financing. I think it is important that the responsibilities of all partners are also taken into account in the long term. This should also be part of the National Pension Conference.

As regards the affordability of future pensions, I must reiterate that in 2003 the social status of the self-employed had a debt of 490 million euros. At the end of 2008, however, we will deposit 600 million euros into the Fund for the Social Status of Self-employed.

Since 2003, we have not only paid off the debt, but also 600 million euros will feed the fund. This also enables to ensure, in part of course, the future payment of pensions.

Further increases will occur in 2009, as you have both had the kindness to remind: 20 euros on 1 May 2009 but also 3% welfare adjustment on 1 August 2009, after which, for the first time, the minimum pension of an independent isolated will be above the IGO, thus above the poverty threshold defined by the European Union.

It is very important, you recalled, to continue in this direction! This is a long-term work, but for the first time, in August 2009, the minimum pension of an isolated self-employed will be above the poverty line. This is an important step that will be taken, even though it needs to continue to improve.

Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Minister, dear colleagues, the CDH group welcomes the adoption of this bill in the sense that it will allow an increase of ten euros in the amount of the retirement pension and the minimum survival pension for self-employed workers.

Is it sufficient? Neither you nor I will have the pretension to answer by the affirmative, but it is in any case an encouraging sign that is oriented in the right direction.

At a time when, today, 4.3% of Belgian workers, including a significant number of self-employed, are considered poor, at a time when CPAS are increasingly regularly requested, in particular by pensioners who, a priori, are not at all beneficiaries of the income of social integration to be able to benefit from additional aid, the image of the small self-employed who systematically runs on gold is far from the reality currently experienced by many people.

Indeed, it is the self-employed who receive the lowest pensions. Thanks to this bill, these will be slightly increased. I recall that my political formation has always demanded, like others, special attention to the lowest and oldest pensions.

The amount that is increased also enters into the calculation of other benefits such as that for incapacity for work. The measure will therefore have positive repercussions beyond the pension alone.

Increasing the pension of self-employed persons means moving towards a harmonisation of pensions between the self-employed and the self-employed regime. This also means improving the social status of self-employed persons, a goal that should be pursued.

It is essential to make the self-employed status attractive in order to encourage those who wish to start and undertake such activities, recalling that the pension of a self-employed oscillates on average around 800 euros per month. This is far from Nirvana. This is what I learned in a recent statement from the UCP. I got acquainted with other figures that referred to the sum of 600 euros per month, depending on the references referenced. The figures, if they may differ, lead to a single finding: the pension is undoubtedly too low.

It can be regretted that the increase is only ten euros. This does not always correspond to the amount that the pensioner will have in his pocket. In fact, the minimum amount of the pension must still be calculated according to the career of each.

This increase of ten euros is another step in the right direction. We will look forward to the fact that another increase will follow closely, as Ms. Reuter and Ms. Becq have just recalled, since an agreement has been reached to increase the minimum pension for self-employed workers by another 20 euros from 1 May 2009, Day of Work.

To conclude, we hope that these successive increases, which complement a device put on the rails a few years ago, will allow to reconcile small independent pensions with a Jacques Dutronc who said this phrase that I like very much: "I am for an increase in the taste of life." We also welcome the announcement of a national conference on pensions. Let us recall that it was explicitly requested and in these same terms by a resolution proposal I had submitted with my colleagues a few months ago. This will be a new opportunity to return to the self-employed pension system and ensure that this expected and legitimate recovery.