During the first corona wave and the first lockdown in the first half of this year, the number of people on a living wage rose by just under 5,000, the report states. “Given the start of the second wave and the measures, it is likely that we will see the above trends recur,” he said.
While the data collection for the second half of this year is still in full swing, the expectation is that 159,000 Belgians will receive a living wage by the end of this year. The government service expects that between January 2020 and January 2021 the increase in the number of living wages can then be estimated at 9.5 percent.
But the real impact of the corona crisis will only become clear next year, it sounds. This also confirms Nathalie Debast of the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities. “Next year, a lot of support measures from the other governments will stop,” says Debast. “Moreover, a lot of people also wait with the step to the OCMW if they run into problems.”
According to Debast, the impact of the corona crisis should also be viewed from a broader perspective than just living wages. “The living wage is an indication of the social impact of the corona crisis. But today there are also people who will not be entitled to a living wage, but who can get other forms of assistance from the OCMW.”
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