Throughout the countries of the Euregion Meuse-Rhine, you become part of a (national) system for social and health insurance. You receive your own insurance number and benefit of a caring social system or a fixed percentage of your employment income. The European Union (“europa.eu”)gives an overview of what generally applies throughout its boundaries.
- Social Security, Healthcare and other benefits in Belgium (“europa.eu”)
- Social Security, Healthcare and other benefits in Germany (“europa.eu”)
- Social Security, Healthcare and other benefits in the Netherlands (“europa.eu”)
Throughout the Euregio Meuse-Rhine, you become part of a (national) system for social and health insurance. You receive your own insurance number and benefit of a caring social system or a fixed percentage of your employment income. “europa.eu” provides an overview about the insurance cover that generally applies throughout the boundaries of the European Union.
Across the borders of social security
In the Euregio Meuse-Rhine there are three different national social security systems, which cause additional paperwork if you choose for housing in one and working in another country. This is an additional effort, but there are already 26,000 border commuters in the EMR with the same challenge. Belgium has one social security system, however procedures might differ as organisations such as trade union can vary between Flanders // Wallonia.
Head to information on social security as cross-border commuter at the GrenzInfoPunkt, Cross-Border Information Point website. Click on the region where you live to get the information on your respective contact person.
Support in and across your regions:
Three systems of social security
Systems of social security greatly differ throughout the countries of the European Union and among Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. The systems are asymetric and cannot merely be “translated” or “compared” one to another. Find the following overview as a starting point and use the sources attached for a more in-depth overview.
More information in English can be found via SocialSecurity.be
Brief summary
The Belgian social security system covers all employees and self-employed persons in the country. In some circumstances, benefits also extend to family members or other household members who are dependent on you. The system is country-wide, but players to distribute services differ among the communities.
Benefits
- Child benefit
- unemployment insurance
- work accident insurance
- health care
- old age and disability pensions
- long-term care insurance.
Costs
As an employee, you pay about 13% of your gross salary into the state social security system. Your employer contributes another 25 % – 30 % of your gross salary. The competent authority determines this share.
Through health care, you will be partially or fully reimbursed for costs of doctor and hospital visits and medication. You must actively choose and register for health insurance. However, the costs you must bear remain the same in each case.
For more information visit the many dedicated pages of Make-it-in-Germany.com Here is a little summary
Automatic membership …
If you work in Germany subject to social security contributions, you are automatically a member of the five statutory social insurance schemes. You do not have to worry about transferring the money. Your employer will pay the contributions for all five social insurance schemes directly to the insurance companies. On your monthly pay slip, you will then see the contributions that have already been deducted from your salary for taxes and social security.
… with an agony of choice with health insurances
Health insurance is the only one of the five social insurance schemes that has different providers. You can choose the health insurance fund that best suits your needs. The statutory contribution rate is the same for all health insurance funds, but benefits might differ. If your annual income exceeds €60,750 (as of 2019), you can also join a private health insurance fund.
In addition to these five, you will receive an individual social security card. This card includes a national insurance number, which you must give to your employer.
Benefits
- Health insurance (Krankenversicherung): the costs for visits to the doctor, various medicines and therapy measures are covered by thisweg.
- Long-term care insurance (Pflegeversicherung): If you areweg permanently dependent on long-term care services due to an illness, you will receive a basic allowance.
- Pension insurance (Rentenversicherung): After you have retired, you will receive a pension. It is calculated on the basis of your own contribution years and the associated pension amounts paid in.
- Accident insurance (Unfallversicherung): This covers costs incurred as a result of an accident at work or occupational illness, including medical treatment and reintegration into working life.
- Unemployment insurance (Arbeitslosenversicherung): As an unemployed person, you are financially protected for a certain time with Arbeitslosengeld I. For this, you must have paid into the social security system for at least one year in the last two years. Otherwise, you receive Arbeitslosengeld II, commonly known as Hartz IV. While you are unemployed, you will receive support from the Federal Employment Agency in finding a job.
Costs
For membership of the social insurance schemes, you pay a fixed percentage of your income from work. Your employer also pays a fixed percentage. For example, membership of the statutory health insurance scheme currently accounts for 14.6 % of your earned income – of which you pay 7.3 % and your employer 7.3 %.
For cross-border commuters
The German system explained for cross-border and non-cross-border commuters by GrenzInfoPunkt (DE/NL/FR)
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Best visit the Expat Centre Maastricht´s dedicated page on social security with all the respective deep links and that we took these sources from.
Two insurance groups
The social security system in the Netherlands contains two insurance groups.
- On the one hand, there are the general national insurance schemes, to which every employee contributes.
- On the other hand, the exclusive employee insurance schemes, which the employer finances
Benefits national insurance schemes
- General Old Age Pensions Act (Algemene Ouderdomswet, AOW): A basic state pension for people who have reached the AOW pension age.
- General Child Benefit Act (Algemene Kinderbijslagwet, AKW): Parents receive a contribution to raise and care for children aged up to 18 year,
- National Survivor Benefits Act (Algemene nabestaandenwet, ANW): Financial support for people whose partner has died and for orphans.
- Long-Term Care Act (Wet langdurige zorg, WLZ): Support for people who suffer from mental or physical limitations and need care on a daily basis.
Benefits exclusive employee insurances
- Unemployment Insurance Act (Werkloosheidswet, WW): Partially compensation for the loss of earning for people who become fully or partly unemployed.
- Work and Income Act (Wet werk en inkomen naar arbeitsvermogen, WIA): Support for people who have become partially unable to work.
- Sickness Benefits Act (Ziektewet, ZW): Support for people who do not have or who no longer have an employer.
Unemployment insurance
For unemployment insurance, employee pays 3.5% of gross salary and the employer pays a further 4.75%.
Europa.eu clustered the following kinds of support for all three countries in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine. To you as receiver, “social security” might mean:
- Family
- Health
- Incapacity
- Old-age and survivors
- Social assistance
- Unemployment
- Moving abroad
- Main residence
Note, that each country heavily varies on how this support is defined and granted. As an example, “family benefits” in Germany do not equal “family benefits” in the Netherlands or Belgium.
