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Belgian pension scheme
Hi all, I have a question about the pension system in Belgium. My spouse and myself have been working here in Belgium closer to 20 years. We are both Belgian citizens and would like to know how the pension scheme work with the recent new changes. Do we get two separate pensions? How to calculate the amounts at the retirement age of 67 years? At the age of 67 we will have worked 40 years. If pre-pension, how much? I know there is the website to find out but I could not get around to answer my questions. Any pointers would be highly appreciated! Thanks!
Hi, I'm in a similar situation, having worked 23+ years here in Belgium and 17 in the UK.
There's no easy way to get the answers you're seeking except to take the time and go the ONP offices near Midi in Brussels and ask your questions in person to one of the staff.
They will keep you right about the number of years you should have worked to benefit from a full or early retirement pension.
At the offices, you'll need to first pass the security check, then register at the front desk with your ID card and then wait in a queue on the second floor until your name is called, so some patience is required (first hand experience - I've visited 3 times now). You should be able to ask all your questions and they will almost certainly create a dossier for you which you can consult on-line if you have an e-card reader.
All their future documents/communications with you will be by e-mail and via the created dossier, so the e-card reader is invaluable. On the documents they send you there will be a direct free phone number that you can call with a code and the staff may also be able to answer your questions but unfortunately you never get the same person twice.
If pre-pension, how much? - they won't give you an estimate unless you launch the demand for a pension.
It's not easy but perseverance is the name of the game.
Hope this helps.
Under EU rules, you claim all ("state") pensions earned in the EU from the EU state that you last worked in (presumably Belgium in this case). That state will then pay you a pension based on the totality of the pensions that you have earned, claiming contributions from the other states concerned.
This will be one of the thousand and one things that will/might change post-Brexit although I imagine that combined pensions that are already in payment will probably continue unchanged but that new claims would not cover pensions earned in the UK which would have to be claimed separately.
My mutuelle has regular Q&A sessions on pensions at the local office and they gave us all the info we needed.
I've no idea whether all mutuelles do this and I suspect that they would not be able to help with questions which apply to pensions which aren't due to start for another 20 years. Things will have changed by then, surely.
