The Social Integration Income (RIS) is the last safety net that exists in the Belgian social model. It is awarded by the CPAS in each municipality in the country to people in social difficulty, in particular to people who are excluded from unemployment, but not only that.
In any case, it is only attributed to “people who do not have sufficient resources to survive“. The amount received by the CPAS is a maximum which is reduced by all other possible income. Thus, the CPAS will first check whether the person is not entitled to unemployment, to assistance for the disabled, etc. It will also check and calculate the person’s possible income, but also that of their partner or cohabitant and deduct them from the amount they could receive from the CPAS.
The CPAS therefore verifies that the candidate recipient “does not have sufficient resources” and proceeds like this:
- If he otherwise receives (unemployment, odd job, replacement income) more than the amount of RIS for his category (single, cohabiting with or without dependents), he is not entitled to RIS. For example, a single person who receives €1,300 per month as unemployed or in temporary work will not be entitled to the RIS which is €1,263.17/month.
- If he receives €400 per month elsewhere, the €400 is removed from the RIS amount for his category. In this case, a single person only receives €863.17/month (€1263.17 – the income of €400) from the RIS.
Two exceptions to this: family allowances received to raise a dependent child and alimony which can be added to the RIS. Any assets of the beneficiary, savings or property, are also deducted from the amount of the RIS.
Finally, the maximum amounts of the RIS depend on the situation of the beneficiary:
- Isolated: €1263.17 gross/month.
- Cohabitant with family responsibilities: €1707.11 gross/month.
- Cohabitant without family responsibilities: €842.12 gross/month.
In 2022, 152,867 people, or 1.31% of the population, benefit from social integration income, according to the Federal Planning Bureau.
Should this social assistance be conditional on work of general interest (paid activities serving the population, such as street sweeper or school bus attendant)? Here are the responses from the six French-speaking parties represented in Parliament:
