April 18, 2023

In the Chamber, deputies can receive up to 1,500 euros in pension supplement, an amount higher than the ceiling for Wijninckx contributions, dug the PTB. “Like the illegal severance payments to former Speakers of the House, this is a rule crafted by our political leaders themselves.”, says Sofie Merckx, group leader.

The jackpot for politicians: if you are an MP, your pension will be three times higher

The pensions of federal deputies are managed by the non-profit organization “Deputies’ pension fund”, which is itself managed by the deputies. “In 2013, the members of the ASBL decided to modify the rules to allow MPs to accumulate various pensions which might rise in total up to 20% beyond the Wijninckx ceiling”. explains Sofie Merckx.

The maximum pension for a Member is 75% of the basic parliamentary allowance. The amount to which he is entitled is determined according to the number of months validated as a parliamentarian. With this calculation, an MP’s pension is normally lower than the Wijninckx ceiling. According to the index in force in March, the maximum pension of a deputy was equal to 80,262.49 euros per year while the Wijninckx ceiling rose to 93,760.79 euros.

A deputy may, however, exceed this amount if he combines his parliamentary pension with pensions drawn from other professions. “In this case, it should be specified that the limit to be taken into account in the event of an overrun is 120% of the Wijninckx ceiling, in accordance with the regulations of the MPs’ Pension Fund, as amended in 2014”, can we read in a note from the clerks addressed to the office of the parliament. “The maximum amount for a deputy in the event of accumulation is therefore 112,512.95 euros per year, at the current index.

This gives the tidy sum of 9,376 euros gross per month. “It is therefore 1,562 euros more than what the Wijninckx ceiling provides, almost seven times more than the average pension of a salaried worker (1,363 euros), and even ten times more than the average pension of a worker independent”, the PTB is indignant.

Currently, regarding fifty people would benefit from this system.

For the Marxist party, this is an additional argument for transferring the management of MPs’ pensions to the Federal Pensions Service.