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1. Housing

2. Social services

3. Health care

4. Financial services

5. Quality assurance

Access to quality services is a key dimension of social inclusion for young people in Luxembourg. While most services are designed for the population as a whole, specific legal, institutional and financial arrangements aim to ensure that children and young people can effectively access housing, social support, health care and financial assistance, particularly when facing situations of vulnerability or increased risk of social exclusion.

Luxembourg’s approach combines universal access to public services with targeted support mechanisms addressing specific needs linked to age, socio-economic situation or life transitions. This combination seeks to reduce structural barriers, prevent long-term exclusion and ensure continuity of support across different policy areas.

Housing

Within the National Action Plan for the prevention and fight against poverty, housing is identified as a cross-cutting issue, and coordination between housing policy and social services is strengthened in order to better address the needs of vulnerable groups, including young people. 

Affordable housing is a general problem in Luxembourg, especially for young people. It is therefore a political priority. Due to high housing costs, improving affordability is a political priority. In 2023, two major laws were adopted to make housing in Luxembourg (both for rent and for house ownership) more affordable. The first, the Affordable Housing Act (Loi du 7 août 2023 relative au logement abordable), establishes a clear and transparent framework for funding affordable housing and providing support for its residents. The second law extends and simplifies individual aid to facilitate access to housing. Public promoters (municipalities, Fonds du Logement, SNHBM) are responsible for the allocation of affordable housing. The Housing Pact 2.0 (2021) strengthens cooperation between the State and municipalities to increase affordable housing supply and residential quality.Young people with limited financial resources may access these general schemes under income-based eligibility conditions. In addition, targeted housing measures exist for young people at risk of social exclusion, particularly during the transition to independent living (see section 4.4).

Social services

Young people in situations of vulnerability can access a range of social services aimed at providing protection, support and guidance. A key institutional actor in this field is the National Office for Children (ONE), an administration placed under the authority of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth, created by the 2008 law on the child and family aid.

The ONE acts as a national contact point providing information and access to support measures for children and young people facing difficulties related to their physical, mental, psychological or social development, or situations of danger, social exclusion or family distress. Children, young people and/or their family members may apply directly to the ONE. In cooperation with childcare providers and specialised services, the ONE coordinates and finances assistance adapted to individual needs, including psychosocial, educational and social support (defined in the 2011 grand-ducal regulations).

A central principle guiding the action of the ONE is to prioritise support within the family environment. Institutional placement or foster care is considered a measure of last resort. When necessary, the ONE is responsible for organising foster care placements and alternative care solutions for children and young people.

At local and regional level, Social Welfare Office (Offices sociaux) provide another important access point to social support. Established under the 2009 law organising social welfare service (loi du 18 décembre 2009 organisant l'aide sociale), these offices cover the entire territory and are designed for all people in need, including children and young people. Their role is to coordinate actions to prevent and combat poverty and social exclusion, in cooperation with individuals, public authorities and other service providers.

Social Welfare Offices provide professional support on a short-, medium- or long-term basis and may grant material assistance in kind or in cash. This support is of a preventive, curative or palliative nature and generally applies once other forms of assistance provided under sectoral legislation have been exhausted. For young people in situations of acute vulnerability, Social Welfare Offices often act as a last safety net, helping to stabilise precarious situations and prevent further deterioration.
In addition, local youth centres and youth services contribute to social inclusion by providing accessible support environments for young people, particularly those at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Through youth work, these services support social participation, guidance and empowerment, and may serve as entry points to other social or specialised services when needed.

Health care

Luxembourg’s health care system is characterised by broad coverage and equal access to services. Children and young people are covered by compulsory public health and long-term care insurance, either directly or through their parents or legal guardians, which guarantees access to health care services under the same conditions as the general population.

The health system is based on principles of solidarity and universality and provides free choice of general practitioners and medical specialists. Coverage is nearly universal and out-of-pocket payments remain relatively limited compared to many other countries. These features contribute to reducing structural barriers to access for young people, including those from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Financial accessibility to health care is further supported through mechanisms such as the third-party payer system, which allows insured persons in vulnerable situations not to advance the full cost of certain medical services. This mechanism is particularly relevant for young people and families facing financial hardship, as it facilitates access to primary care, specialist consultations and dental care. In situations of severe material deprivation, additional health-related costs (such as medication or hospital fees) may be covered through social assistance mechanisms coordinated at local level.

Mental health is recognised as a key component of social inclusion for young people as mentioned in the National Action Plan for Mental Health. Access to mental health care is supported through national mental health policies focusing on prevention, early identification and access to care for children and adolescents experiencing psychological distress. These policies aim to strengthen early intervention and to improve coordination between health services, education and youth support structures.
Overall, the organisation of the health care system and the combination of universal coverage with targeted support mechanisms contribute to ensuring effective access to quality health services for young people, particularly those facing increased risks of social exclusion.

Financial services

Young people are entitled to financial benefits depending on their individual situation and/or the situation of their household. Most of these benefits address not only young people between the ages of 12 and 30 years, but also families with children younger than 12 years.
The following financial services include the most important provisions for young people in poverty or at risk of poverty:

• Income of social inclusion (REVIS; revenu d’inclusion sociale)

The income of social inclusion (REVIS) was introduced by the 2018 law on the income of social inclusion. It has replaced the former guaranteed minimum income (RMG). The REVIS aims at fostering social inclusion, by establishing a coherent system between policies of stabilisation, social activation and reintegration into employment. It aims at reducing poverty especially of children and single-parent families.

According to this law, in certain circumstances, households living on resources below a certain threshold receive financial aid from the state.

The beneficiaries are persons of at least 25 years of age, who have exhausted all other options provided by Luxembourgish and foreign laws (employment, social security, food allowance, etc.) to improve their situation.

Individuals under 25 years of age can receive financial aid, provided they fulfil at least one of the four following exceptions:

1. The person cares for a child or children
2. The person is pregnant
3. The person is unable to make a living
4. The person is of legal age and cares for a sick or handicapped person

• Welfare aid (aide sociale)

Every person living in Luxembourg is eligible for welfare aid in order to live in human dignity. The conditions and procedures for obtaining welfare aid are established by the 2009 law on welfare service. Welfare aid is granted by the Social Office on the local level (see: Social Services).
Financial aid is available for students from low-income families (Subvention pour ménage à faible revenu).
Secondary school pupils from low-income households can apply for flat-rate vouchers to buy school equipment and for an annual subsidy. Granting depends on the number of parents, household income and the number of children in the household.

• Costs of living allowance (allocation de vie chère)

The National Solidarity Fund (Fonds national de solidarité) grants a cost-of-living benefit and since 2023 an energy allowance to support low-income households. The amount depends on the composition of the household and on its revenue.

Further provisions do not exclusively address young people in poverty or at risk of poverty. However they are worth mentioning, since they make an important contribution to the social balance:

• Family allowances (allocations familiales)

Family allowances are always paid to families with children up to the age of 18. They are paid up to the age of 25 for children who are still studying, while no age limit applies for children with a physical or mental handicap. Since 2016, the amount granted per child is the same for each child in the family. It increases when children reach the ages of 6 and 12, and in August a back-to-school allowance is automatically paid. 

• Student allowance (aide financière pour études supérieures)

Students in post-secondary education are entitled to financial support, so that every student can enrol in post-secondary education regardless of their parents' financial background. Allowance is composed of a grant (50%) and a bank loan (50%). Weighting between grant and bank loan depends on the student's revenue. Students enrolled in secondary education abroad and doing their VET are also entitled to a student allowance.

• Social minimum wage (salaire social minimum)

The social minimum wage guarantees that no salary may be under a certain amount. However, there are restrictions for minors:

• Young people aged 15 to 17 years are entitled to a share of 75% of the social minimum wage
• People aged 17 to 18 years are entitled to a share of 80%.

Despite these restrictions, the minimum wage is an important factor preventing social exclusion and discrimination of specific groups.
The social minimum wage and salaries are adjusted in line with the evolution of the cost of living. When the consumer price index increases or decreases by 2.5% during the previous semester, the social minimum wage and salaries are normally adjusted by the same proportion.

Quality assurance

Quality assurance in services accessible to young people in Luxembourg is ensured through a combination of legal frameworks, administrative oversight and institutional coordination mechanisms. Public services operate within clearly defined legislative and regulatory frameworks that set eligibility conditions, access criteria and standards for service delivery.

Where services are provided by non-public actors, such as associations or service providers, quality is ensured through authorisation, accreditation and contractual arrangements with the competent public authorities. These arrangements define objectives, target groups, reporting obligations and funding conditions, and are subject to administrative and financial monitoring.

Institutional coordination plays an important role in quality assurance, particularly for young people with complex or multiple needs. Cooperation between education, youth, social, health and housing services aims to ensure continuity of support and to reduce fragmentation. Within the framework of the National Action Plan for the prevention and fight against poverty, efforts are being made to strengthen coordination and coherence between services, with a particular focus on accessibility and early intervention for children and young people.

In addition, data collection, reporting mechanisms and periodic reviews of policies and services contribute to identifying gaps in access and to informing adjustments over time. While quality assurance approaches vary across sectors, the overall framework aims to ensure that services remain accessible, relevant and responsive to the needs of young people.