The tripartite measures are “a policy of reactive solidarity,” according to Ginette Jones, but what the country actually needs to fight poverty are “proactive measures.”
While she is pleased that some measures for vulnerable people, such as the energy bonus, have been extended until the end of 2024, she regrets that they are “insufficient.” As for the partial adjustment of the tax table, Jones argued that even if clients of Luxembourg’s social offices could save €200 a year in taxes, this gain would quickly evaporate if rents were to rise by the same amount.
“We really need proactive policies,” the president of the Association of Social Offices stressed, “especially in housing and in the labour market.” Jones said that “people are not poor because they are stupid,” rather “they are affected by poverty because they have smaller pensions, are not working or only partially working, or work in industries such as catering or cleaning.”
The problem, according to Jones, is high housing prices, which is why she believes that “proactive policies go further than tax credits.”
The president of the Association of Social Offices stated that it is her wish that “we allow people to work, live, and learn.”
Ginette Jones wants a tax reform that would lead to a simple and transparent tax system, instead of a technocracy that is becoming more and more difficult for taxpayers to grasp. She expects the political parties to take a clear stance on these issues before the elections.
