Since 1 January, the reform of unemployment benefits has become a reality for tens of thousands of people in Belgium. Presented as a response to budgetary constraints, it profoundly alters the balance of social protection. By limiting in time a right that served as an essential safety net, the difficulties linked to unemployment do not disappear: they are shifted elsewhere. This shift will have visible effects on social precarity and the risk of homelessness.
Unemployment reform in Belgium: benefits limited to two years
The reform now limits the duration of unemployment benefits to a maximum of two years. People who reach the end of this period without having found a job must turn to the Public Social Welfare Centres (CPAS) to apply for a social integration income or equivalent support, provided they meet the required conditions. According to the CPAS, around 190,000 people will be affected by July 2027, including approximately 42,000 in Brussels and 80,000 in Wallonia.
On 1 January 2026, the first wave of exclusions will affect people with more than 20 years of unemployment and those who have been receiving insertion benefits for over one year, representing more than 20,000 people according to the National Employment Office (ONEM). This includes 16,000 people in Wallonia and 4,000 in the Brussels Region.
Four additional waves of exclusions are still planned.
End of benefits: shift to CPAS and increased precarity
The end of unemployment benefits does not mean immediate integration into the labour market. It primarily results in a sudden loss of income and heightened insecurity. Turning to the CPAS often implies lower benefit levels, complex administrative procedures and increased scrutiny of living conditions.
On the ground, CPAS services are already observing a significant increase in applications. In Brussels, the number of social integration income recipients has doubled over the past ten years, without a proportional increase in staff or resources.
This overload has tangible consequences: delays in processing applications, difficulties in meeting legal deadlines and a rise in emergency situations. Several CPAS are facing legal complaints related to these delays, revealing a system that was already under severe pressure even before the unemployment reform came into force.
It should also be noted that among the 42,000 people affected in Brussels, nearly half – around 42% – will likely not be entitled to CPAS assistance, leaving them without any income.
Risk of homelessness: loss of income, evictions and housing insecurity
For anyone – and particularly for people living alone or without support networks – the loss of a stable income can quickly lead to housing insecurity or homelessness. Rent arrears, evictions and precarious accommodation are well-known pathways for associations and social services.
CPAS services often represent the last barrier before the street. Turning them into mere transmission belts of the unemployment reform, without sufficient resources, further weakens this barrier.
CPAS under pressure: insufficient resources in the face of social emergency
The federal government has announced additional funding to offset the impact of the reform on CPAS services. However, on the ground, these resources are widely considered insufficient.
Behind the figures and the discourse on activation, a central question now arises: what happens when the last social safety net is stretched to breaking point? Without substantial investment in social support, without an ambitious housing policy and without a structural strengthening of CPAS services, limiting unemployment benefits risks leading to deeper precarity and an increase in homelessness.