Presentation of the final report on the evaluation of the Social Inclusion Income Scheme (REVIS)
On 21 July 2023, the Minister for Family Affairs and Integration, Max Hahn, invited representatives of the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) and the Social Security Inspectorate (IGSS) to a press conference to present the final report on the evaluation of the Social Inclusion Income Scheme (REVIS).
"Some people do not have the financial resources to cover their needs and live in dignity. In Luxembourg, however, they can count on the solidarity of the society", says Max Hahn, Minister for Family Affairs and Integration.
REVIS is one of the main ways of combating financial poverty and social exclusion. The aim of the social inclusion income (REVIS) is to help households on modest incomes and to provide a basic means of subsistence to anyone who meets the relevant conditions.
Currently, 10,000 households, or 24,000 people, benefit from REVIS. A third of these households have no other income.
In November 2021, LISER and the IGSS were commissioned by the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region to carry out an evaluation of the REVIS system. This evaluation follows a motion passed by the Chamber of Deputies when the projet de loi 7113 on REVIS was introduced.
REVIS came into force on 1er January 2019, replacing the Guaranteed Minimum Income (RMG), the legal basis for which dated back to 1986.
The main conclusions of the evaluation
The amounts intended for families with children, and more specifically those intended for single-parent families with children, provide these families with financial resources that are 19% to 51% higher than they would have received under the RMG. REVIS is therefore an important instrument for reducing child poverty in Luxembourg.
At the request of the Ministry of Family Affairs, Integration and the Greater Region, STATEC calculated a reference budget for households with children at the end of 2022. This budget represents the financial minimum necessary to live decently in the country. In its analysis, STATEC concludes that REVIS offers good protection for these households: it exceeds the minimum budget in almost all cases.
However, the evaluation also shows that households without children have fewer financial resources at their disposal, which places them slightly below the level of the RMG. This is an issue that will need to be addressed by a future government.
One of the main objectives of REVIS is to encourage beneficiaries to take up a professional activity in order to enable them to enter the labour market, while respecting the skills and personal situation of each individual. As part of this action strand, the activation measures proposed by the Office national d'inclusion sociale (ONIS) and ADEM have been adapted and made consistent.
According to the LISER and IGSS reports, ADEM's profiling system has proved its effectiveness. The results show that beneficiaries are guided effectively and correctly, and that the 'gateways' or “passerelles” that exist between the two schemes are working, enabling beneficiaries to be reoriented if necessary.
The REVIS law has also redefined cooperation between the various administrations. Administrative procedures and the monitoring of beneficiaries have been significantly improved. However, it has also been noted that certain aspects still need to be clarified, whether in the area of communication or procedures.
The integration of the Regional Social Inclusion Officers (ARIS) into the Social Offices has paid off and has made it possible to provide REVIS beneficiaries with more comprehensive support. There is a need to continue along this path and to clarify and refine certain areas of cooperation in this field.
