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Evaluation of the Service Voucher scheme
Daphné Valsamis
Senior Expert Labour Market & Socio-Economic Policy
"The Service Voucher scheme is unique at the European level and meets many needs of our society. However, it faces many challenges. IDEA has more than 15 years of experience with the Service Voucher scheme, which enables us to make relevant recommendations for the sector and contribute to the long-term future of this system."
The challenge
Introduced by the law of 20 July 2001, “aiming to encourage the development of community services and jobs”, the Service Voucher scheme was initially a federal government initiative. On 1 July 2014, management of the Service Voucher scheme became a regional responsibility following the implementation of the Sixth State Reform.
The Service Voucher scheme is an employment measure which, since its creation, has pursued three main objectives:
- Increase the employment rate among people who are furthest from the labour market (low-skilled);
- Reduce undeclared work (informal economy);
- Improve the work-life balance for households.
Evaluations of the Service Voucher scheme in the Brussels-Capital Region have shown that the scheme’s three initial objectives have been achieved overall, but that certain challenges need to be addressed to ensure the scheme’s longevity and effectiveness. In addition to the budgetary issues for the regional public authorities, which are exacerbated by the growing success of Service Voucher, the scheme faces the following challenges in particular:
- Long-term absenteeism among domestic helpers;
- Companies are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit workers;
- Service Voucher employment is characterised by unattractive working conditions;
- The Service Voucher job does not generate a ‘springboard’ effect towards another job;
- Companies have limited scope to offer their employees good working conditions and support.
The process & results
IDEA Consult has recognised experience in evaluating the Service Voucher scheme. We carried out the federal evaluation of the system for 10 consecutive years. In addition, following the regionalisation of the system, IDEA Consult evaluated the Service Voucher scheme for the Brussels-Capital Region for the years 2014 to 2023 and the scheme for the Walloon Region for the years 2016 to 2020. For Flanders, in 2015 IDEA carried out an analysis of the profitability of Flemish Service Voucher companies and a study of the return effects of the scheme in 2018. IDEA has also carried out a number of studies for the sector, including a study on well-being in the sector commissioned by FORMTS in 2018 and a study on training in 2021. IDEA is also recognised as a Service Voucher expert at European level. For example, we took part in a project funded by the European Commission to collect European best practices in the field of personal services, and wrote an article on well-being in the sector for the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.
These various studies have made it possible to study and analyse the Service Voucher scheme from a number of angles, such as issues of well-being at work for employees, accessibility of Service Vouchers for users and the profitability of companies. These analyses were carried out using a variety of methods, including the collection and analysis of a multitude of administrative data, surveys and in-depth interviews with workers, users and companies, and collective intelligence sessions involving the sector’s social partners. These analyses have led to a multitude of recommendations, which in particular have contributed to the sustainability of this system.