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If you intend to apply for earnings-related daily allowance, you must register as a jobseeker with TE Services.

When you register as a jobseeker, the employment authority will check whether you meet the labour market requirements for receiving the benefit. In practice, the question is whether you are unemployed, whether your job search is valid and whether you have complied with the employment authorities’ requirements.

in the event of reprehensible conduct in terms of labour policy, the employment authority may impose sanctions that prevent us from paying you earnings-related daily allowance.


The employment services are responsible for monitoring of reprehensible conduct and imposing and withdrawing sanctions, and providing advice on the subject. If you need any further advice in these matters, do no hesitate to contact the TE Services.


Who is unemployed?

According to the Unemployment Security Act, you are unemployed if you are not in an employment relationship.

You are unemployed if you do not find continuous full-time employment lasting more than two weeks as an entrepreneur or self-employed. If you have started a business or become self-employed while unemployed, you will be unemployed for four months from the start of that activity, even if you are employed full-time in that activity.

You are also unemployed if you have been temporarily laid off full-time or part-time. You are also unemployed if the reason for interrupting work and payment of wages is a reason comparable to lay-off.

You are also unemployed during the leave you have applied for if you have accepted a full-time job for the duration of the leave, which was intended to last at least until the end of the leave applied for and you are made redundant or temporarily laid off from it. In addition, it is required that the termination of employment or a temporary lay-off is not your fault and that it is not possible to interrupt the leave for reasons beyond your control.

Voluntary work

If you are unemployed, you are also entitled to earnings-related daily allowance for the period during which you participate without pay in ordinary voluntary work for the public good or in ordinary voluntary work. In other words, you can participate in unpaid organisational activities or voluntary work without it affecting your earnings-related daily allowance.

However, if you work unpaid in a company or in tasks that are generally carried out in an employment relationship or as a business activity, you are not entitled to earnings-related daily allowance.