Seventeen local politicians combine disability pension with political mandate

In Belgium, there are seventeen local politicians, including two mayors and fifteen aldermen, who have officially been deemed 'too sick' to work but continue to fulfill their political mandates. This is revealed by information requested by Eva Demesmaeker of the N-VA from the pension service.

The politicians involved receive a disability pension while balancing their responsibilities as board members. Demesmaeker argues that the fact these politicians are still able to perform such tasks shows it was wrong to definitively label them as incapable.

Details about the identity of the involved politicians and their remuneration are currently unknown, but the situation has raised questions regarding the opportunities for individuals on disability pensions to remain active in politics.