Belgium: Organisation Belgium: Organisation
In proper terms social security is a national affair which is subject to the competence of the Ministry in charge of social affairs (with the exception of the field of "unemployment" which is subject to the competence of the Ministry of Employment and Labour).
The National Social Security Office is an institution of public interest which has the task to collect contributions (with the exception of employment injuries) and to allocate the funds between the central institutions responsible for the administration of the different branches of social security.
A Management Committee which is composed of an equal number of representatives of the employers and employees, appointed by the King, runs this office and these institutions with equal representation. In some cases these are also representatives of organisations that are interested or involved in a special insurance branch; this applies above all for family benefits and health care.
The Committee is presided by an independent person, frequently a member of Parliament or a highrank official.
The Committee has a self-administration in the sense that it can take decisions as regards administration. However, policies, legislation and general regulations are in principle the task of Parliament, the King or the competent ministry.
An important detail consists in the fact that the competent minister normally has to consult the Committee in the case when drafts for a law or regulations are on the agenda which concern the activities of the Fund.
The competent minister presides the Committee via a Commissioner of the Government who has to be vigilant that the decisions of the Committee are not contrary to the general rules and the general interest. If this were the case the minister could annul the decision questioned.
The field of sickness, maternity and invalidity is run by the National Institute for Sickness and Invalidity Insurance, which above all distributes the financial resources between the different insurance funds responsible for the benefits (mutual insurance companies, which are affiliated to one of the five national associations of recognised mutual insurance companies, regional office of the Auxiliary Sickness and Invalidity Fund or the Health Care Fund of the Belgium National Railway Company). The choice of insurance fund is free with the exception of the employees of the Belgium National Railway Company.
The field of old-age and survivors' pensions is run by the National Pension Office, which is in charge of the assessment and payment of pensions. The application for a pension will be made via the local administration of the town in which the applicant is resident.
Employment injuries: the employers have to insure the risks of accidents at work with a registered insurance fund or a communal insurance fund to the benefit of their staff. This field is run by the Employment Injuries Fund, whose task is above all to grant benefits in the form of damages if the employer does not meet his obligations.
Occupational diseases: the Occupational Diseases Fund has the monopoly on occupational diseases insurance. This fund also implements the legal regulations in the field of prevention.
The implementation of legislation is carried out on the one hand by the National Family Benefits Offices for Employees and the special Compensation Funds for Family Benefits and on the other hand by the independent Compensation Funds. The main tasks of the National Office are: to distribute the financial resources between the different compensation funds and to guarantee the role of a compensation fund for the employers insured with the Office. Furthermore the Office has been allocated the supervision of the compensation funds. For some occupations special funds have been created (public funds), which the corresponding employers should join. The independent Compensation Funds are institutions which have been founded upon the employers' initiative and approved of by the King; they are only responsible for the granting of statutorily provided benefits.
The field of unemployment is run by the National Employment Office and its regional units, which will decide on the concerned person's entitlement. The payment of benefits is made by the registered trade union organisation of which the employee is member or by the Auxiliary Fund for Payment of Unemployment Benefit that has received the application.
The field of social assistance falls within the scope of the Ministry for Public Health. The minimum amount for subsistence will be granted by the competent Public Social Assistance Centre.
MINISTERE DES AFFAIRES SOCIALES,
DE LA SANTE PUBLIQUE ET DE L'ENVIRONNEMENT
Rue de la Vierge Noire, nº 3c
B-1000 Bruxelles
et
Cité administrative de l'Etat
Quartier Esplanade
Boulevard Pachéco, 19
B-1010 Bruxelles
MINISTERE DE L'EMPLOI
ET DU TRAVAIL
Rue Belliard, 51
B-1040 Bruxelles
OFFICE NATIONAL DE SECURITE SOCIALE
Boulevard de Waterloo, 76
B-1000 Bruxelles
INSTITUT NATIONAL D'ASSURANCE
MALADIE-INVALIDITE
Avenue de Tervuren, 211
B-1150 Bruxelles
OFFICE NATIONAL DES PENSIONS
Tour du Midi
B-1060 Bruxelles
OFFICE NATIONAL
D'ALLOCATIONS FAMILIALES
POUR TRAVAILLEURS SALARIES
Rue de Trèves, 70
B-1040 Bruxelles
FONDS DES MALADIES PROFESSIONNELLES
Avenue de l'Astronomie, 1
B-1210 Bruxelles
FONDS DES ACCIDENTS DU TRAVAIL
Rue du Trône, 100
B-1040 Bruxelles
OFFICE NATIONAL DE L'EMPLOI
Boulevard de l'Empereur, 7
B-1000 Bruxelles