Responsibilities of the Public Social Action Centre
There is a public social action centre in each municipality. This centre is a public service whose responsibilities and operations are defined in law, most importantly in Law 26/05/2002 on the right to social integration, the Organic Law of the 8th of July 1976, and the law of the 2nd of April 1965 with regard to the responsibility for aid granted by public social action centres.
"Every single person has a right to social aid. This aims to enable everyone to lead a life that conforms with the concept of human dignity. The public social action centres were created to take on the responsibility of ensuring that this aid is provided in accordance with the conditions stipulated by law." (Art. 1 of the Organic Law of the Public Social Action Centres, 1976)
The Organic Law of the Public Social Action Centres also states that "Each public social action centre has a responsibility to ensure that individuals and families receive the help to which they are entitled. This includes palliative or curative help as well as preventative help. This help may be material, social, medical, socio-medical, or psychological."
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The Public Social Action Centre triggers all initiatives required to inform the public about the various sorts of aid that it grants.
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The Public Social Action Centre takes all steps necessary to assert the rights of applicants, such as affiliation with a mutual insurance company.
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The Public Social Action Centre grants the material aid required in the most suitable form. A social integration income is the right of every Belgian and foreign national registered in Belgium who does not have sufficient resources nor the means to procure them by his or her own efforts or via other means.
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The Public Social Action Centre is in charge of welcoming asylum seekers.
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The Public Social Action Centre can create and manage establishments or services with a social, curative, or preventative nature. Examples: Meals on wheels and home care, rest homes and care homes, service centres for the elderly, mental health centres, family support services, support services for the elderly, social housing for pensioners, children's homes etc.
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The Public Social Action Centre acts as guardian for minors placed in its care.
If a person needs to provide proof of a period of work in order to obtain the full amount of certain social benefits such as unemployment benefit, the Public Social Action Centre will take all possible measures to help him or her get a job. Sometimes, it will even act as employer for the stipulated period.
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The Public Social Action Centre is the social branch of the Municipal Council.