Enabling you to live rather than survive
To live well and happily, you must be able to buy what you need. In other words, you must have enough purchasing power. You should not only be able to buy what you need to survive - such as housing, food, energy, clothing, means of transport and communication - but preferably also a little more: holidays, hobbies, trips, etc.
Making ends meet is becoming increasingly difficult for many Brussels residents. Almost four out of ten people in Brussels live below the poverty threshold; this is twice as high as in the rest of Belgium.
Some illustrations of limited purchasing power include the inability to replace well-worn clothes with new ones. In Brussels, 15.2% are in this situation, while in Flanders the figure is only 5.5%.
Let's take holidays as another example: a period of relaxation that is widely recognised as important for well-being, and which everyone needs from time to time. Some 36.4% of Brussels residents cannot afford a week's holiday away from home, compared to only 13.5% of the Flemish.
When daily existence comes down to mere survival, and people live from one bill to the next, a crucial element in life is missing. Ensuring sufficient purchasing power is crucial, not only for the individual but also for society as a whole. Insufficient purchasing power leads to a faltering economy and a decline in prosperity for everyone. Protecting the purchasing power of families and single people actually implies that you’re protecting the economic growth and the welfare state as well.
Vooruit stands for raising wages and cutting bills, and this is how we do it:
Forwards to higher wages
The Socialists in the federal government have ensured that wages, pensions and benefits rise along with the cost of living by indexing them. Unlike the previous government, which had refused an indexation (known as 'index jump'), our party has fully implemented automatic indexation. Thus, we have protected people's purchasing power in Belgium better than anywhere else in Europe.
Forwards to higher pensions
We also raised minimum pensions to 1,680 euros net and increased both benefits and the lowest incomes. These too are decisive measures that protect the purchasing power of families and single people.
Forwards to lower energy bills
For Vooruit, protecting purchasing power also means keeping bills low. That is why we have lowered people's bills in the federal government. How? We did so by reducing VAT on energy from 21% to 6%, since we consider energy a basic need and not a luxury. Moreover, we extended the social tariff on energy to more than a million households and single people, protecting especially the most financially vulnerable from rising energy prices.
Maximum bill for healthcare
Healthcare costs too can quickly become very high. That is why Vooruit has lowered the maximum bill for the lowest incomes. Specifically, this means that these vulnerable families or singles must spend a maximum of 250 euros per year on doctor's fees.
What does Vooruit want for the future?
- We want a maximum bill for education in secondary schools
- We want a maximum bill for residential care for the elderly
- Wij willen dat u minder hoeft uit te geven aan huisvesting. Bekijk hier onze voorstellen rond betaalbaar wonen
- We want to distribute taxes better, with lower taxes on work so you have more left over
- We want stricter consumer protection legislation
For Vooruit, protecting purchasing power is a core task of the welfare state. Together we make sure everyone can continue to pay their bills, together we make sure the economy keeps running and the welfare state remains intact.
Our achievements speak for themselves: you can trust us to always stand up for your purchasing power.