Guide to Apply for Unemployment Benefits in Belgium

Table of Contents

Description

This guide is intended for anyone who has recently become unemployed in Belgium and needs to apply for unemployment benefits.

Register as a job seeker with Actiris (if you live in Brussels), Forem (if you live in Wallonia) or VDAB (if you live in Flanders).
Document your search for a job through these agencies.
If you have been employed for at least 12 months in the past 18 months, you may be entitled to benefits.
Gather the necessary documents to apply for unemployment benefits.
Choose a payment institution to submit your application. This could be either a union or the Auxiliary Unemployment Benefit Fund(CAPAC).
The union (or CAPAC if you are not a union member) will then pass along your dossier to the ONEM/RVA, the government body that makes the final decision on your application.

C4 document: This is the document you receive when you are dismissed from your job. It contains essential information such as the reason for your dismissal and the length of your notice period.
If you cannot obtain a C4 from your employer, you can file a complaint with the social inspection services.

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Provider	Website	Timelines	Cost

CAPAC does not charge a membership fee, whereas unions do. It might take longer to process your application at CAPAC due to more crowded conditions.
If you are a young employee and haven’t worked for more than 12 out of the last 18 months, you may still be eligible for benefits as a school-leaver (demandeur d’emploi stage d’insertion).
Holders of a work permit B who lose their job can also apply for unemployment benefits.

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