The Federal Government’s Easter agreement includes pension measures such as capping but not suspending the indexing of the highest pensions.
Initially, it was communicated that the highest pensions would not be indexed for several years, leading to protests, notably from the judiciary. Consequently, the government decided that pensions exceeding €5,250 gross will be indexed up to a fixed amount of €36 until the end of the legislative period. This is equivalent to a 2% indexing of a minimum pension for single individuals.
Additionally, the pension bonus, introduced by the previous government for those who continued working after their pension date, has been abolished. The European Commission did not approve the measure, leading to its repeal, although accrued rights will still be honoured.
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Furthermore, there will be an increased solidarity contribution on pension capitals. The rate will rise from 2% to 4% on capital amounts over €150,000. The Wijninckx contribution for very high supplementary pensions, such as those of corporate executives, will increase to 12.5%.
Finally, the budget for lightening the burden of pension costs on local authorities will increase from €50 million this year to €184 million by 2029. This involves contributions from local authorities to cover the pension liabilities of their retired statutory officials.
