BRUSSELS – Self-employed workers in Belgium are set enjoy a modest pension increase following a deal between the government and workers’ representatives, it was confirmed on Wednesday.

The agreement, which will also apply to the large number of expats who have self-employed status in Belgium, will see pensions increase by between EUR 108 and EUR 132 a month over the coming three years.

Under the deal a single person’s monthly pension will rise from EUR 630 a month to EUR 738 by the end of 2007.

The pension for a person living as part of a legally recognised couple will increase from EUR 840 to EUR 972. 

In both cases the increases will happen in stages.

For the self-employed, pensions will rise by EUR 27 a year starting this year and ending in 2007.

Pensions for people living in couples will go up in four stages of EUR 33 over the same period.

Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt has promised that the pension increases will not mean self-employed people have to payer higher social security charges while they are working.

[Copyright Expatica 2004]

Subject: Belgian news