Belgian reference budgets for social participation Bérénice Storms AGE, Brussels, What income do (older) people need at the minimum for social participation?

Social participation Playing adeqately social roles  common expectations to social positions  To belong  To contribute

Preconditions to social participation

Reference budgets as guidelines to enable full participation of all citizens in society

Reference budgets: adequate means for need statisfaction Not one (absolute) minimum ! Necessary income depends on necessary expenses  Vary with individual and social living conditions Two extremes :  To assess a minimum budget needed by well- informed people and competent persons who are in perfect health  To assess a level of resources that will be sufficient for people in all kinds of circumstances

Reference budgets developed by experts and citizens Role of experts:  Translating needs into concrete goods and services and pricing them  Starting as much as possible from a normative (≠ prescriptive!) point of view  ≠ real budgets  =model budgets, accepted by citizens and politicians  Showing the way to an inclusive society  Strengthening competences  Ensuring access to rights

Reference budgets developed by experts and citizens Role of citizens:  Helping experts to translate needs into concrete goods and services  Ensure feasibility  Are assumptions made by experts realistic?  Ensure acceptability  Method: Focus groups  Better than (survey or in-depth) interviews: valuable interaction effects between participants

 Criteria for inclusion into the basket: essential for adequately playing social roles  Transparency  Flexibility  Long-term budgets  Sustainability Rules of thumb:

Methodologically: Homogenous FG Income position Household composition Living circumstances Theoretically: Mixed groups  Further research is needed Composition of focus groups

Developing cross-national reference budgets: Common start Geographical scale: Nation-region-city? Family types: – Household composition – Living conditions – Housing situation : (out-right) owner, (social )tenant – In good health? – In need of help? Pricing Limited number of retailers Median, low prices? – Choice! Life span?

Valorisation of Belgian reference budgets Reference budgets can be used for: 1.Determining additional income support, settling income maintenance, debt rescheduling, financial education/debt prevention; 2.Measuring poverty; 3.Encouraging politicians to work towards a socially inclusive society.

Belgian Reference budgets and minimum incomes for the elderly, 2012

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