Social measures: Pension reform

Important side note: Only the topics that are highlighted in green have been formally approved by the government. All other topics are proposals and have not yet been formalized.

  • During the period from 1 July 2025 to 31 December 2029, the highest statutory pensions will be limitedly indexed. This limitation applies to civil servants, employees, and self-employed individuals, and the maximum pension amount will consider both the Belgian statutory pension and foreign or international statutory pensions. The latter is only within the conditions of applicable international agreements. During the same period, the maximum statutory pension for civil servants (Wijninckx-limit) will not be indexed.
  • The pension bonus, introduced in 2024, was abolished as of 01/01/2026, meaning that a pension bonus in that form could only be accrued from 01/07/2024 to 31/12/2025.
  • Additional possibility for early retirement of employees. As of 2027, early retirement will be possible from the age of 60 with a career of at least 42 years. Each year worked must comprise at least 234 days of actual work under this system of early retirement. Equivalent periods are severely restricted under this scheme.
  • The pension schemes for employees, the self-employed and civil servants are being harmonised. The statutory retirement age will eventually be aligned for everyone (the age that already applies for employees and the self-employed).
  • Introduction of pension bonus and malus as of 1 January 2027. Whether such bonus or malus is applied, will be determined based on a double employment conditions. On the one hand having a career of at least 35 calendar years where each year contains at least 156 days worked. Secondly, the total career must contain at least 7020 days worked. Do take into account that certain periods such as maternal leave and other will be assimilated to also count to the number of days worked.
  • If the abovementioned employment condition is not fulfilled, and the person concerned wishes to retire before the pensionable age, a deduction of the legal pension will be applied of 2% per year ceasing to work early for those born between 1961 and 1965, 4% per year ceasing to work early for those born between 1966 and 1974 and 5% per year ceasing to work early for those born in 1975 or later. The pension malus will not be applied to those retiring at the legal pension age.
  • If however the double employment conditions are met and the person concerned continues to work after having reached the pensionable age, a pension bonus will be applied. This bonus will amount to 2% per year delaying retirement for those born in 1962 or earlier, 4% per year delaying retirement for those born between 1963 and 1972 and 5% per year delaying retirement for those born in 1973 or later.
  • No pension bonus is foreseen for persons who have worked more than 45 years before having reached the pensionable age.
  • There will be a mandatory supplementary pension for all employees with a minimum employer contribution of 3% of the annual salary by 2035 at the latest. If this is not yet anchored at the level of the sector, efforts will initially be made at this level. The pension reform legislation makes no provision for supplementary pensions. 
  • The solidarity contribution (currently 2%) on pension capitals above EUR 150,000 increases.
  • The Wijninckx contribution on the highest pensions will increase to 12.50% starting in 2026.
  • The taxation on individual pension allocations withdrawn before the statutory retirement age will be harmonized with other pension systems, and it will no longer be possible to use it to finance property other than for the sole owner-occupied home.
  • The calculation of the 80% rule is modified, which takes into account the career already performed, and for the Wijninckx threshold, the actual pension amount is taken into account. Also, pension amounts above the Wijninckx threshold will be taxed higher.

The government agreement foresaw that it was no longer possible to enter the system of unemployment with company allowance (formerly bridging pension) from the date of the government agreement, with the exception of medical unemployment with company allowance or already announced restructuring/collective layoffs.

An agreement has now been reached within the Group of Ten to keep the system of unemployment with company allowance open until 30 June 2025. This agreement should give legal certainty to persons who are currently in a notice period wishing to enter the system of unemployment with company allowance.

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