Minimum Income Schemes: Increasing support, accessibility and inclusion

This article is brought to you in association with the European Parliament.

MEPs want to address the current cost of living crisis with a new law to modernise and strengthen national minimum income schemes in EU countries.

On Wednesday, plenary adopted a resolution noting that an EU directive on an adequate minimum income would make minimum income schemes more accessible and effective. It would also ensure that people currently absent from the labour market are integrated into it.

EU countries should regularly evaluate their national schemes and update them if needed, ensuring an adequate level of support that reflects the national at-risk-of-poverty (AROPE) threshold, to establish a social safety net guaranteeing a minimum standard of living.

MEPs also want to raise the awareness of these schemes and make them more accessible, in particular for disadvantaged groups such as homeless people. They propose measures to address widespread issues in EU countries such as the lack of take-up of these schemes and the digital divide.

The text was adopted with 336 votes in favour, 174 against and 121 abstentions.

Background

On 28 September 2022, the European Commission proposed a Council Recommendation on adequate minimum income ensuring active inclusion. It sets out how EU countries can modernise their minimum income schemes to make them more effective and to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty and social exclusion in the EU.