Employment and employee benefits in Belgium: overview. You must be able to prove you have worked for a certain number of days in Belgium or abroad. This chapter tells you what you need to know in order to claim unemployment benefits in Belgium. Belgium is often overlooked as a country of immigration because of its size and its less known history of immigration. Entitlement to unemployment benefit. The benefits of the former depend on the particulars of your contract, while the latter tend to be decided through agreements with unions in your industry. The benefit is paid monthly, in advance, and you can usually receive it for 12 months before a re-assessment is necessary. If you have lost your job through no fault of your own, you may be entitled to unemployment benefit. Unemployment benefit is provided by your local job centre (Jobcenter) as a flat cash benefit, intended to secure basic subsistence. Unemployment benefits in Belgium are subject to complicated requirements and restrictions, depending on your age, work experience and family situation. In the Flemish Community: the VDAB; In Wallonia: FOREM (in French) For the Brussels/Central region: Actiris (in French and Dutch) Claiming unemployment benefit Spouses of foreign workers who are maintaining status (e.g., H-4, L-2, E-1/2/3) with a valid Employment Authorization Document (EAD) may be eligible to apply for unemployment benefits … Many foreigners easily find work in Belgium and chances of finding jobs in Belgium‘s main cities, ... Belgian residents can claim unemployment benefits while they are looking for work. Also, periods someone was working abroad will only be taken into account while calculating unemployment benefits for EU residents and residents of countries Belgium has an agreement with. The UWV WERKbedrijf (administrative office for employed persons) system outlines that for the first two months, initial unemployment benefits are paid out at 75% of the average wage you’ve earned over the last 12 months (the current month not included), and 70% after two months, depending on your circumstances.. From now on, foreign workers will have had to have worked in Belgium for 3 months – instead of one day – before they can claim unemployment benefit. Ask the authorities in the country (or countries) you've worked in for a U1 form (formerly E 301 form - showing periods to be considered when calculating unemployment benefits). The exact number you need to have worked depends on how old you are. If you have worked and paid social security contributions in another European Union country, your period of work and the contributions you have paid can, under certain conditions, be taken into account in the calculation of the amount of your benefits in Belgium. Whether you're entitled to unemployment benefit, and how much will depend on the rules in the country where you live and the time you've worked abroad. To apply for unemployment benefits in Belgium a person must be officially registered as a jobseeker at an employment office in the area where they live. Yet over the last three decades Belgium has become a permanent country of settlement for many different types of migrants. The exact amount you will receive is dependent on your income, assets and family situation. How it works. ... Foreign workers who wish to work in Belgium for less than 90 days as employees must also hold a work permit (except nationals of the EEA). The employer must first apply for an employment permit and then for a work permit B. 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