Belgium Begins Ending Unemployment Benefits for 36,000 Recipients

The Belgian Employment Office (Onem) has announced the start of official notifications to approximately 36,000 individuals registered on unemployment lists, as part of ongoing reforms to Belgium’s unemployment insurance system.

The office stated that notifications will be sent electronically starting tomorrow, Sunday, while paper copies will reach recipients from February 16 onward.

The measures involve a gradual termination of benefit entitlements between July 1, 2026, and July 1, 2027.

The affected recipients are distributed geographically as follows: Flanders – 15,926 people; Wallonia – 13,963 people; Brussels-Capital – 5,824 people; and the German-speaking community – 180 people.

This step is part of a series of reforms initiated last year, which first targeted recipients of integration allowances, followed by those in the second and third benefit periods. A final wave of notifications is expected in March for a limited group of recipients of the income guarantee supplement.

The office aims for these updates to enhance the sustainability of the unemployment insurance system, improve resource management, and focus on supporting the most vulnerable groups while increasing overall labor market efficiency in Belgium.

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