Recommendation on minimum income

Key points

The EESC:

• welcomes the content of the recommendation, particularly the implementation of realistic and sufficient criteria for the level and accessibility of minimum income, its legal guarantee and the reporting system;
• calls for the setting up of a robust methodology for the setting and level of minimum income benefits to take into account the different income sources and the specific situations of households; believes that minimum income schemes should be part of national strategies to combat poverty which integrate measures to achieve amongst others fair wages and decent work and access to affordable and good quality essential services;
• points at the need for a rights-based approach for all to an adequate minimum income which leaves no one behind, does not have overly restrictive criteria and is accurately measured to ensure that it is effective; insists on the necessity of keeping minimum incomes in line with inflation, and to do so on a regular basis, with the support of CSOs, social partners and welfare organisations; proposes that Member States should assess minimum income levels at least on a yearly basis;
• calls for special attention to be given to specific groups such as single-parent families, migrant families, young people, people with disabilities and Roma; highlights the importance of minimum income schemes for self-employed people in Europe; draws attention to the need for pension systems which provide an adequate pension so that pensioners do not have to rely on minimum income support;
• believes that minimum income schemes should include both cash and in-kind services to those who cannot work or for whom it is almost impossible to work; transparent and non-discriminatory access criteria should be put in place in the Member States to address issues related to coverage.