The announcement of the phasing out of the extension of access to the social tariff for the Beneficiaries of the Increased Intervention (BIM) arouses incomprehension among the 262 Walloon CPAS. This measure, decided on Monday by the federal government, will “against all the claims made until now by the structures that ensure access to energy for Belgian households, including the most precarious“, deplores the Federation of Walloon CPAS (UVCW) on Wednesday in a press release.
“Even gradual, this abolition occurs in a context of permanent social crisis, reinforced by successive crises, including the energy shock which is far, far from it, from being absorbed by households, in particular those in precarious situations.“, analyzes the president of the CPAS Federation of Wallonia, Luc Vandormael.
A call for comprehensive reform
In particular, in order to stem some of the pitfalls in employment and the non-use of rights, the Federation of Walloon CPAS pleads for the implementation of an automatic and targeted social tariff system – even calibrated – according to the level income rather than status.
Beyond gas and electricity, a comprehensive reform should also make it possible to support households, whatever the fuel used (pellets, oil, coal, wood, etc.), says the Federation. In addition, the UVCW explains that the CPAS will now have to follow up on a new influx of requests related to the abolition of access to the social tariff, with the backdrop “administrative and emotional overload“which have been growing steadily since the coronavirus crisis.