10,000 Flemish students receive social assistance
More than 10,000 students in Flanders receive social security benefits, according to annual figures obtained by VRT NWS. The number continues to rise year on year.
Social assistance for a single person amounts to 1,340 euros a month. The grants are managed by the public welfare office, OCMW, with strict agreements on recipients’ academic progress. Students are also obliged to work a certain number of hours each year.
The scheme is for people aged 18-25 who are still finishing secondary school, following an adult education course or in higher education. A social worker monitors each student and support can be withdrawn if the conditions are not met.
"By providing them with temporary support, we increase their chances of finding a job and they can then take control of their lives again"
Last year, the federal public planning service for Social Integration registered 10,064 students receiving assistance in Flanders, 14 per cent more than five years ago. In Wallonia, there are 18,421, with 14,246 in Brussels.
“We are seeing that students are finding it easier to turn to the OCMW. They mainly need financial support rather than psychosocial support,” Nathalie Debast of the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities told VRT. “By providing them with temporary support, we increase their chances of finding a job and they can then take control of their lives again.”
Ghent has the highest number of students in receipt of social assistance, at 1,203 people. 44 per cent of those are working towards obtaining a secondary school diploma.
#FlandersNewsService | Illustration © PHOTO FRÉDÉRIC SCHEIBER / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP
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