2023-05-14 12:49:00
Alexia Bertrand was the guest of Pascal Vrebos this Sunday on RTL TVI. The Secretary of State for the Budget was notably questioned about an objective of her party, the Open VLD. The president of the Flemish Liberals recently announced his desire to increase the income gap between those who work and those who do not work. Alexia Bertrand explained how the Open VLD intends to achieve this.
Pascal Vrebos: Let’s talk about unemployment, that was the news this week. Do you think the unemployed are too well off. Or are today’s salaries too small? Is that why you want a difference between work and non-work of 500 euros net. Is it possible an it’s an idea in the air?
Alexia Bertrand: Today, we see that the differential between work and non-work is no longer significant enough.
Pascal Vrebos: We’ve been saying that for twenty years.
Alexia Bertrand: Yes, but there is a fundamental difference, and it’s new. I went to a roommate organized by the CPAS of Schaerbeek two weeks ago with a series of social workers. Everyone comes to the same conclusion. The conclusion is that today, even with a full-time job, it is no longer always possible to free oneself from the CPAS. I’m not talking about unemployment yet, I’m talking about the social integration income. That is truly serious. It means that today, social workers will say “sir, madam, don’t go to work because you will lose money”. For what? Because there is a whole series of social advantages which one profits according to the statute.
Pascal Vrebos: So are we freezing social benefits?
Alexia Bertrand: The idea is to create a differential of 500 euros net. How do we do that? All benefits should be consolidated. The social energy tariff, all that is aid for public transport, for health… all these advantages…
Pascal Vrebos: We freeze them?
Alexia Bertrand: No, we combine them! And it doesn’t have to be binary anymore. Today, the day you go to work, it stops. But you have to look at income. It doesn’t have to be stopped immediately. Grants should be provided on a pro rata basis. And I will end, we obviously have to play on the tax system. This means lowering the tax burden on low and medium salaries to arrive at this differential of 500 euros net.
Pascal Vrebos: Your colleague Dermagne (note: Socialist, Minister of Economy and Labour) says, and I quote: “An unemployed person does not earn more than someone who works”. He bluntly implies that the Liberals are talking nonsense. You’re lying?
Alexia Bertrand: I invite you to read the study of Marie Castaigne, who previously worked at Statbel, and who carried out a study for the Fédération des CPAS wallons. His observation is relentless. Maybe he only looks at the amounts earned, but he forgets to add all the social benefits. the social energy tariff, aid for crèches, increased family allowances, aid for public transport, aid for health, etc. If you add it all up, there’s no more point in working. But you have to get up in the morning, find a childcare solution, find a transportation solution, maybe invest in clothes to work.
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