IMPLEMENTING THE RIGHT TO A DECENT LIVING STANDARD IN BELGIUM: THE USE OF THE REDI TOOL

Abstract

To help local administrations in Belgium to put the right to a decent income into practice, the Belgian federal government will financially support the use of the REDI tool by Public Centers for Social Welfare (PCSWs) from 2023 onwards. REDI (REference budgets for a Decent Income) is a reference budget-based tool tailored to each client situation. It is used to assess financial deprivation and to allocate additional financial support (AFS) to needy families with the aim of enabling them to lead a life in dignity (Law on PCSW, 1976, art. 1). As the tool also generates new data that give insight into the characteristics of the group of aid seeking citizens and into their budgetary barriers, it is a very promising instrument to implement the right to a decent living standard in Belgium. Furthermore, the tool can be valuable for the implementation of Principles 6 and 14 of the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR), that respectively recognise the right to a minimum wage and the right to a minimum income that provide for a decent standard of living (European Commission, 2017).

Keywords

• reference budgets, decent income, additional financial support, public centres for social welfare, equal support, social work, needs diagnosis, affordability