What steps should you take to get unemployment benefits?
We hereby provide you with an overview of the steps you need to take in order to get your benefit in order as soon as possible. Whether you are entitled to benefit depends on the number of days worked in a given period. It is the RVA that decides whether you are entitled to benefit or not.
Create a profile as a job-seeker with the regional employment service within 8 calendar days.
Registration depends on the region where you live. In concrete terms, this is VDAB for Flanders, Actiris for Brussels, Forem for Wallonia and ADG for German-speaking Belgium.
There are two ways of doing this:
- Online: with your national registration number on the website of the respective service
- By phone on the following free numbers:
- VDAB: 0800 30 700
- ACTIRIS: 0800 35 123
- FOREM: 0800 93 947
Once registered, you will receive a certificate of registration.
This document can also be found online in your profile at VDAB, ACTIRIS, FOREM.
With your certificate of registration and your C4 you can present yourself to a payment institution.
You can choose your own payment institution. There are four institutions that can pay your benefits. On the one hand there is the Auxiliary Fund, on the other hand there are the three trade unions.
The Auxiliary Fund for Unemployment Benefit (HVW)
The HVW is a government institution that you can call upon for free. You can make an appointment to visit an office in your area, but you can also submit your case remotely online.
You will have to fill in a form C1 to confirm your personal details. You then need to add your C4 from your most recent employer and your certificate of registration as a jobseeker (VDAB, Actiris, Forem or ADG).
The three unions
There are three trade unions of different ideologies: the liberal trade union ACLVB, the Christian trade union ACV and the socialist trade union ABVV.
To benefit from their services you must be a member and pay a membership fee. However, they will not only help you with your benefit, but also with other matters.
You can find more information about this via the links behind the names of the various payment institutions.
If you were employed by Axis Group, we will always provide your C4 after the payment of your last salary. Concretely, this is always the next Wednesday. To speed up the process, you can already take care of steps 1 and 2. You can also already choose a payment institution.
If you have worked via another employer, you will receive your C4 via this employer.
Do not hesitate to contact us for more information. We will be happy to help you!
Sources and information: www.rva.be
Axis Advice is based on up-to-date data and reliable sources. However, the articles are provided for information purposes and do not constitute binding legal advice. Although Axis makes every effort to keep the content of this article correct and up-to-date, no rights can be derived from it.