Civil servants will still have to wait more than a year before indexation

The Finance Tower in Brussels. © Photo News

The central index will probably not be exceeded in September, but only in October 2021. Social benefits will therefore not be increased until November 2021 and civil service salaries in December 2021, the Planning Bureau said on Tuesday in its latest inflation forecasts.

The Planning Bureau estimated a month ago that the overrun of the central index would occur a few months earlier, in August 2021 and not in December. It looks like this is finally happening in October. "Consequently, social benefits and salaries in the civil service would be adapted to the cost of living, in other words increased by 2%, respectively in November 2021 and December 2021", writes the Planning Bureau.

The last time the central index was broken was in February of this year. The Planning Bureau maintains its inflation forecast at 0.8% this year and 1.3% for 2021