People in financial vulnerability can receive OCMW support to also finance their leisure time. Part of this consists of streaming services, such as Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify. Jasper Pillen of Open Vld finds it completely incomprehensible: “I have no problem with people on a living wage who want to actively participate in our society. But it now appears that in Bruges, Netflix, Disney and Spotify subscriptions of up to 240 euros are also reimbursed to clients of the OCMW.”
According to Alderman for Social Affairs Pablo Annys, Pillen stigmatizes: “I think colleague Pillen’s argument is beyond shame, because he stigmatizes the very weakest. He says that they only lazily watch their Netflix. While this story fits into a much broader story around leisure participation.”