Service vouchers are a method to pay individual help at home. Service vouchers cost 6.7 euro for one hour of home care and remain valid for 8 months. Employees paid with these vouchers give them to the employer. In exchange they get a fix month rate and benefits. 30 % of the costs for he people who ask home care can be reduced from their taxes and because the personnel cost are higher than 6.7 euro per hour, the Flemish goverment pays the remaining 14.3 euro to the employer.

 This system is applied with succes in Dienstenthuis Oost-West in Kortrijk. After one year, the company has 650 clients and 134 employees, most of them cleaning personnel. They hope to raise the amount to 200 employees in the future and attract more men, for example for gardening.

The big advantage is the permanent appointment with extra benefits and hours that are free to chose from 3 to 25 hours a week. For the price of one unemployed the government can employ three people with the system of service vouchers.

Published by Valerie, Lambertyn

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