The impact of the coronavirus crisis on the social security system in Belgium amounts to over €19 billion, figures by the Court of Audit show.
For the coronavirus year 2020, there is a loss in revenues of a billion euro and a loss of €10.9 billion in additional expenses, which is a total impact of almost €12 billion, according to the Court of Audit's report to the Chamber based on provisional figures available at the end of August 2021.
"The restrictions imposed by the government from mid-March 2020 in the fight against the Covid-19 crisis have had a major impact on the socio-economic and social spheres, forcing the various authorities to take measures, each in accordance with their powers," the report states.
For 2021, the impact is provisionally estimated at €617 million less revenue and €6.5 billion more expenditure, or about €7 billion in total impact.
"A number of measures were taken in the framework of the federal social security to cope with the crisis," it added.
More specifically, it concerns support measures for employers and the self-employed as debtors of contributions, support measures for socially insured people who suffered damage as a result of the restrictive measures, the reimbursement of specific Covid-19 expenses by the health care insurance and the granting of additional financial means to the hospitals.
