What income do families need for social participation? Belgian reference budgets for social...

What income do families need for social participation?

Belgian reference budgets for social inclusionBérénice Storms

Reference budget as guideline which enable the full participation in society of all citizens

Social participation (adequately playing different roles)

Health

• nutricious food protective housing appropriate health care and personal care suitable clothing rest and leisure

Autonomy:

• security in childhood significant primary

relationships mobility security

Reference budgets developed by experts and citizens

• Role of experts:• Translating needs into concrete

goods and services• Starting as much as possible

from a normative (≠ prescriptive!) point of view• If legal norms fit to social

reality …• Transparency!

Reference budgets developed by experts and citizens

• Role of citizens:• Help experts to translate needs into

concrete goods and services• Ensure acceptability• Method:

• No survey: mixture of needs and wants

• Focus groups are better than interviews: because of interaction effects

• Composition of focus groups:• Homogenous for:

• Income position (income around European poverty threshold)

• Household composition (couples with little children)

• Living circumstances (healthy, not working, …)

Reference budgets developed by experts and citizens

Research stages - Stage 1: Flemish reference budgets, financed by University High school K.H. Kempen(2007-2009)

Reference budgets developed abroad

Secondary data analysis

Literature review

Experts:

translating of needs into concrete goods and services (quantity, quality, life spam)

+

Pricing

Case study

9 Focus groups

Group interview with low income families

Final Fremish reference budgets for 17 family types anno 2008, (not working, renting in private

housing, in good health)

Adaption by experts

Individual interviews with families around poverty line

Additional expertise:

- Delphi study

- comment baskets

- additional analyses

Total Budgets for 17 family types (not working, renting in private housing, in good health)

Research stages - Stage 2: Belgian reference budgets, financed by Belgian government(2007-2009)

Flemish Reference budgets

Literature reviewExperts:

Translating of needs into concrete goods and services (quantity, quality, life spam)

+

Pricing

Focus groups with:

-Working adults (2)

-Elderly people (3)

-Students (14)

Interview with lone parent families (5) –

case study sick persons (12)

Additional expertise:

- comment baskets

- additional analyses

Belgian reference budgets for 24 family types, living in different socio-economic circumstances anno 2010Price indexation by category

Focusgroups (7) wilth low income families in Wallonia and Brussels

Consulting experts:

-additional analyses

Experts

Translating of needs into concrete goods and services (quantity, quality, life spam) for a decent life in Wallonia and Brussels

+

Pricing

• How should the focus groups best be organised?

• How to integrate life time events, e.g. save money to leave home ?

• How should the cost of important life time changes (living alone, getting unemployed, become a pensioner) be covered?

Reference budgets: challenges for the future

Valorisation of Belgian reference budgets

Reference budgets can be used for:1. Determining additional income support,

settling income maintenance, debt rescheduling;

2. Financial education/debt prevention;3. Measuring poverty;4. Encouraging politicians to work towards

a socially inclusive society.

1. Determining additional income support, debt rescheduling: development of a practical tool

2. Financial education/debt prevention

3. Measuring poverty

Social rentPrivate rentHouse owner with morrtgageHouse owner, no mortgageEU-SILC

4. Encouraging politicians to work towards a socially inclusive society

• reference budgets not only reveal what level of income is needed; they also imply a commitment to social cohesion and social inclusion

. Encouraging politicians to work towards a socially inclusive society

Housing costs: + 50% !

Education costs non regulatedEducation costs regulated

If a car is needed: + 292€

Thanks for your attention!

Berenice.storms@khk.be

BereniceML.storms@ua.ac.be