Your social security rights
in Belgium
Family benefits
This chapter tells you what you need to know in order to receive family benefits in Belgium.
As family benefits fall within the competence of the federated entities, four different schemes coexist in
Belgium. They are respectively managed by the Brussels-Capital Region, the French-speaking Walloon
Region, the Flemish Community and the German-speaking Community.
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In what situation can I claim?
Every child domiciled in Belgium is entitled to family benefits.
What conditions do I need to meet?
In all federated entities, family benefits are conditioned on the child’s residence. They are thus not linked
to the socio-professional status of the parents.
Children domiciled in one of the federated entities are entitled to family benefits up to the age of 18 (25
if the child follows studies or a vocational training). In the French-speaking Walloon Region, however,
the age limit to be entitled to family benefits is 21 years for children born after 1st January 2001 unless
they earn an income (25 years, if the child is a job seeker, student or in a work-study programme).
In the Flemish Community, both parents are, as a rule, beneficiaries but, in some cases, only one of
them is designated as recipient. In the other federated entities, the mother is, as a rule, considered as
beneficiary.
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What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
Family benefit schemes of the federated entities provide for:
a) a monthly basic allowance
b) social supplements related to family situation and household income
c) monthly age supplements (restricted to some federated entities)
d) birth or adoption grants
e) supplementary allowances for children with disabilities
f) annual age supplements
g) Monthly basic allowances
(1) Social supplements are means-tested. Where appropriate, the amount of the social supplement
varies according to the annual income of the household.
(2) Social supplements are means-tested. Where appropriate, the amount of the social supplement
varies according to the annual income of the household and the age of the child.
(3) Social supplements if the child is entitled to the increased reimbursement from the sickness
insurance and if he/she has no entitlement to the supplement for orphans.
Note
The German-speaking Community will maintain the payment of the same total amount as provided by
the Act on Child Benefits (Loi générale relative aux allocations familiales, LGAF) and granted for the
month of December 2018 beyond 1st January 2019 if such amount is indeed more favourable than the
total amount due under the new decree of 23/04/2018 on family benefits which entered into force in
January 2019.
The new amounts shown in the tables are however paid when they become (in the addition) higher than
the amount frozen then copied referring to the situation in December 2018. The new amounts also
become only payable after the number of beneficiary children grouped around a same recipient has
been modified – and this from the 1st month following the event.
The bilingual Brussels-Capital Region will maintain the payment of the same total amount as provided
by the Act on Child Benefits (Loi générale relative aux allocations familiales, LGAF) and granted for the
month of December 2019 beyond 1st January 2020 if such amount is indeed more favourable than the total amount due under the Order of 25/04/2019 governing family benefits which entered into force in
January 2020.
Maternity and paternity benefits
This chapter provides you with information about how to benefit from maternity and paternity benefits in
Belgium.
If you have worked and paid social insurance contributions in another European Union country, your
period of work and the contributions you have paid can be taken into account as part of the benefit
calculation.
In what situation can I claim?
In the event of pregnancy employees, unemployed persons or self-employed persons can benefit from
maternity leave. However the conditions to be met, the duration of the leave and the amount of the
benefits are different for each category.
Salaried or self-employed workers who are fathers or co-parents are entitled to twenty days paternity or
birth leave.
What conditions do I need to meet?
To be entitled to maternity leave you must meet the following administrative conditions:
• you have completed a work placement of six months or you are exempt;
• if you are an employee or unemployed, you have worked (or been unemployed) 120 days during
the 6 months previous to your maternity rest period;
• you have paid a minimum amount of social security contributions;
• there is no break period of more than thirty days between the date your maternity rest period
starts and your last working day (or day of unemployment).
With the exception of the waiting period, the administrative conditions are the same as those applied to
sickness benefits in the context of being unable to work.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
Duration and period of maternity leave
If you are an employee or unemployed, in principle maternity leave lasts for 15 weeks and includes two
periods:
• Prenatal leave is a maximum period of 6 weeks before the expected date of delivery:
Five weeks are optional and can be taken after the birth; The week immediately preceding delivery is a compulsory week of maternity leave;
• Postnatal leave is a period of 9 weeks which starts on the day of the birth (or the day after the
birth when the worker had started work on the day of the birth). Postnatal leave is compulsory.
If you are self-employed maternity leave lasts for 12 weeks (13 in case of multiple births). You are
obliged to take at least 3 weeks uninterrupted: the week before the birth and the first 2 weeks after the
birth. The remaining nine weeks (ten weeks in case of multiple births) are optional. During the optional
period, the self-employed may undertake part-time work. The maximum duration of the optional
maternity leave is therefore 18 weeks (20 weeks in the case of multiple births).
Amount of maternity benefit
The amount of maternity benefit depends on your status (employed, unemployed or self-employed) and
on your income.
If you are an employee, your maternity benefit is calculated as:
• 82% of your salary (no ceiling) for the first 30 days;
• 75% of salary (subject to ceiling) from the 31st day onwards;
• Maximum: € 137.35 per day from 1 February 2025.
If you are unemployed, in principle the amount of benefit on 1 February 2025 is equal to:
• a basic benefit equivalent to the amount of your unemployment benefit + an additional allowance
of 19.5% of gross capped salary at € 145.59 for the first 30 days;
• a basic benefit equivalent to the amount of your unemployment benefit + an additional allowance
of 15% of gross capped salary at € 137.35 starting from the 31st day.
If you are self-employed the amount of the benefit is a flat-rate weekly amount. The amount is the
amount which is applicable on the first day of maternity leave. As at 1 February 2025, the amount of
maternity benefit per week is € 890.31 or € 445.16 for maternity leave at part-time for the first 4 weeks
and € 814.32 or € 407.16 for maternity leave at part-time from the 5th week.
Maternity benefits are paid by your mutual insurance fund. The application for benefits should be
addressed to your mutual insurance fund supported by a medical certificate stating the presumed date
of the delivery as well as the start date of the maternity leave.
Paternity or birth leave
As a father or co-parent, you are entitled to twenty days paternity leave on the birth of a child. You must
take this leave within the four months following the birth. You can take the leave days all at once or
spread them.
Your employer will pay you your full salary for the first three days.
For the next 17 days your mutual insurance fund will be responsible for payment. The amount paid by
the latter will be 82% of capped daily gross salary at € 150.17 (leave from 1 January 2024).
For more information about maternity and paternity or birth benefits, go to the social security portal.
Self-employed workers (fathers or co-parents) are eligible for a paternity and birth allowance, which can
be granted either as an allowance for a maximum interruption of 20 days or 40 half-days or as an
allowance for a maximum of 8 days (or 16 half-days) plus a birth support, i.e. an amount to cover
expenses incurred for domestic helpers. The interruption can be taken as half-days but has to take place
within the first 4 months after the child’s birth. The allowance is a flat-rate amount paid daily (€ 99.51
per day or € 49.76 per half-day).
Benefits in kind can also be paid during and after pregnancy: injections, pre and post-natal care,
monitoring and assistance during labour and delivery in a hospital.
Healthcare
This chapter tells you what you need to know in order to benefit from the health insurance system in
Belgium.
For persons travelling or living in the European Union outside Belgium, the European health insurance
card allows you to benefit from public health care at reduced cost or even free.
If you have worked and paid social insurance contributions in another European Union country, your
period of work and the contributions you have paid can be taken into account as part of the benefit
calculation.
In what situation can I claim?
The health insurance system covers practically the whole population: employees and persons treated
as such, self-employed workers and persons treated as such, other categories (students, disabled
persons, beneficiaries of integration income, etc.) as well as dependants of the aforementioned persons.
To be recognised as a dependant, you should reside in the family of the beneficiary of the insurance,
with the exception of the separated spouse (de facto or living apart) and children under age 25. You
must not have an income (pension, annuity, etc.) greater than € 3,069.11 gross per quarter (amount in
force in the 4th quarter of 2024).
What conditions do I need to meet?
To be able to obtain benefits:
• you must be registered with a health insurance body, which in turn must itself be affiliated to a
national union of authorised mutual insurance funds, or register with CAAMI;
• your contributions may not be lower than a fixed minimum amount. If this is not the case, an
additional contribution has to be paid to maintain the right to healthcare;
• Your affiliation to the insurance body remains valid until the end of the second year following
the last year during which you were insured, at the latest.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
The benefits in relation to preventive and curative care are reimbursed according to the scales laid down
in agreements established between practitioners and the health insurance system.
Medical and dental care
• You are free to choose your doctor or your dentist;
• you are free to consult a specialist;
• In principle, the health insurance fund will reimburse 60-75% of the fees charged for healthcare
services.
• Co-payment of € 6 (€ 1.50 for those on the preferential scheme) for consultations with general
practitioners; € 4 (€ 1) if you have a “dossier medical global”.
• Co-payment of € 12 (€ 3 for those on the preferential scheme) for consultations with specialist
physicians; physiotherapy is reimbursed only if prescribed by a doctor;
• the dental care which will be reimbursed includes preventive and conservative treatment,
extractions, dental prosthesis and orthodontic treatment (depending on the age limit: 9 years for
a first-line treatment and end of the intervention at the latest at the age of 22);
• you pay the fees directly to the doctor or dentist and you are then reimbursed by your insurance
fund.
Pharmaceutical products
• You are free to choose the pharmacy where you get the medication prescribed by the doctor or
dentist;
• you pay the amount of the cost directly to the pharmacist, who will give you a receipt for the
medication provided;
• the amount reimbursed by the health insurance varies depending on the social and therapeutic
usefulness of the prescribed medication;
• the prescription of an outpatient medication is done electronically (except in exceptional
circumstances)
• you will only have to pay the pharmacist the portion of the price not covered by your health
insurance fund.
Hospitalisation
• The cost of care is shared between you and your health insurance fund. The hospital will invoice
your health insurance fund directly for the costs covered by your insurance;
• on admission to hospital, you make a flat-rate prepayment. The amount varies depending on
your status (those benefiting from the preferential scheme, the unemployed, dependent
children);
• the cost of the daily care is a flat-rate amount which covers the costs of your stay and your care
in hospital. A large proportion of this amount is paid by your health insurance fund. The amount
which you have to pay yourself varies according to your status;
• you will also be charged a flat-rate daily amount for the reimbursed medications used during
your hospital stay
Long-term care
This chapter tells you what you need to know in order to benefit from long-term care benefits in Belgium.
In what situation can I claim?
While there is no specific insurance for long-term care in Belgium, federal and federated regulations
however provide for benefits aimed at dependent, disabled or elderly persons, who require specific
equipment or long-term care. In particular:
• the integration allowance (AI); federal social assistance due to offset the additional costs
associated with a loss or reduction of autonomy;
• the benefits in kind provided by the federal compulsory healthcare and sickness benefit
insurance for persons unable to perform on their own the basic activities of daily living (nursing
care at home and assistance of a third party, for example);
• the allowance for assistance to the elderly (APA) in the Walloon Region and in the BrusselsCapital Region: allowance for disabled persons designed to offset the additional costs
associated with a loss or reduction of autonomy;
• the allowances provided by the Flemish Social Protection (Vlaamse Sociale Bescherming):
care budget for the severely dependent persons: aid and assistance of a non-medical nature supplied
by third parties to persons with reduced autonomy in a residential, semi-residential or out-patient setting;
care budget for persons with disabilities: allowance granted to persons with a recognized disability and
with a limited need for assistance. The budget can be used freely for assistance needs: nursing care at
home, day care, accompaniment, purchase of service vouchers, community care, etc.;
care budget for elderly persons requiring care: allowance designed to offset the additional costs
associated with a loss or reduction of autonomy. This budget replaced the APA for persons residing in
the Flemish region;
• personal assistance budget provided by the Walloon social protection for disabled persons;
• benefits in kind provided by the social protection of each of the federated entities for elderly
persons as well as persons with a mental or physical disability (reception and accommodation
in rest homes, in day care centres as well as stays in psychiatric nursing homes and assistedhomes initiatives or technical aids such as mobility aids or individual/integration aids, for
example).
What conditions do I need to meet?
(Federal) compulsory healthcare and benefit insurance
To benefit from the compulsory insurance:
• you have to be affiliated to a health insurance body which is itself affiliated to a certified national
union of mutual insurance funds, or register with the Auxiliary Fund for Sickness & Invalidity
Insurance (CAAMI);
• your contributions have to reach at least a given minimum amount. If such is not the case, an
additional contribution has to be paid to maintain the entitlement to healthcare;
• your affiliation to the health insurance body expires at the latest at the end of the second year
following the last year for which you were insured;
• you suffer from a lack or reduction of autonomy.
Integration allowance
To provide assistance with the additional costs which you will meet as a disabled person in arranging
your day-to-day living space (motorised wheelchair, special equipment for the bathroom or the kitchen,
etc.), an integration allowance (AI) may be awarded to you if:
• your disability is certified by an approved medical doctor;
• your income does not exceed certain limits;
• you are at least 18 years of age and under 65;
• you are included in the population register;
• you are domiciled in Belgium and actually reside there
Flemish Social Protection (Vlaamse sociale bescherming) in the Flemish region.
Flemish Social Protection is a set of interventions and funding systems for long-term care within the
Flemish Community.
Membership is compulsory in Flanders and voluntary in the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region. A
contribution of €32 or €64 is requested (in 2025) from each insured person, which finances the
healthcare budgets.
To be eligible for a care budget for the severely dependent persons or for a care budget for elderly
persons requiring care, the insured person must have resided 5 years in the Flemish region or in the
Brussels-Capital region and be member of an agreed care fund. To be eligible for a care budget for the
severely dependent persons, the beneficiary must also have a reduced self-sufficiency capacity within
a residential, semi-residential or outpatient framework for elderly persons requiring care , must be at
least 65 years of age with a disability or a reduction in self-sufficiency (7 points or more on the autonomy
scale), and must have a low income. Medical examinations for the care budget for elderly needing
assistance are still conducted at the federal level Walloon Social protection in the Walloon Region
To be eligible for the Walloon social protection (benefits in kind), you have to reside on the territory of
the French-speaking Walloon Region. To be entitled to the personal assistance budget for persons with
disabilities, several criteria must be satisfied by the applicants:
• they have to be Belgian citizens or be assimilated to a person having the Belgian nationality, or
have 5 years of continuous residence in Belgium;
• they have to be domiciled on the territory of the French-speaking Walloon Region (i.e. in one of
the Walloon communes except for the 9 communes forming the German-speaking Community);
• they have to be under 65 years of age when submitting their first application for an intervention;
• they have to have a disability.
More information available on https://www.aviq.be
To qualify for the allowance for assistance to elderly persons, the conditions are to be at least 65 years
old, to be of Belgian nationality or equivalent and to be domiciled in French-speaking Walloon territory.
Additionally, they must have a disability and have low income. For more information, visit www.aviq.be.
Brussels social protection in the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region
To be eligible for the Brussels social protection, you must meet several criteria:
• To reside permanently and effectively in the bilingual territory of the Brussels-Capital Region,
or to be considered the equivalent of such;
• To be at least 65 years old at the time of submitting the application;
• Your reduction in autonomy should be assessed by a doctor from the Centre for the Evaluation
of Autonomy and Disability;
• Your income and that of your household should not exceed a certain limit;
• You should not already be receiving an integration allowance or income replacement benefit.
More information available on https://www.iriscare.brussels
For individual assistance:
• Your disability occurred before the age of 65;
• Your disability meets the conditions set out in the order and in the nomenclature of individual
assistance
Social protection in the German-speaking Community
To be entitled to the allowance for assistance for the elderly, several criteria must be satisfied by the
applicants:
• they have to be domiciled on the territory of the German-speaking Community; and be insured
primarily in Belgium
• they have to be under 65 years of age when submitting their first application for an intervention;
• they have to require assistance.
The average allowance granted amounts to €266.71 per month if you have BIM status.
More information available on http://www.ostbelgienlive.be
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
(Federal) compulsory healthcare and benefit insurance
Nursing care at home: assessment is made on the basis of the Katz evaluation scale (bathing,
dressing, transfers and locomotion, toileting, continence, feeding).
Assistance of a third party: the level of need of assistance of a third party is assessed on the
basis of the total number of points assigned within the framework of the degree of autonomy
evaluation.
To submit an application: www.socialsecurity.belgium.be.
Integration allowance
The degree of autonomy is generally established by a medical expertise: it serves as a basis for
calculating the amount of the allowance payable. The latter can be cumulated with the income
replacement allowance. The earnings of the person concerned as well as those of the partner with whom
he/she forms a household are taken into account when calculating the allowance.
Sickness cash benefits
This chapter provides you with information to enable you to claim daily sickness benefit in Belgium.
If you have worked and paid social insurance contributions in another European Union country, your
period of work and the contributions you have paid can be taken into account as part of the calculation
your benefit.
In what situation can I claim?
If you are an employee or a self-employed worker and you are no longer able to work as a result of an
illness or an accident, you are entitled to income replacement (unless it results from occupational
disease or a work-related accident). However, a specific scheme will apply, depending on your status.
What conditions do I need to meet?
If you are an employee (or unemployed), you must meet the following conditions:
• be registered with a mutual insurance fund (mutualité) as holder;
• have accumulated a total of 180 days of work (or assimilated period);
• have completed a qualifying period of 12 months;
• demonstrate the payment of a minimum level of contributions during that period;
• not have had a period of interruption of more than 30 days between the start of the incapacity
and the last working (or unemployment) day;
• be acknowledged as unable to work by the medical officer of the health insurance fund
(cessation of all activity, loss of earnings).
If you are self-employed, you must meet the following conditions:
• you must demonstrate payment of contributions for a minimum of 6 months;
• you must be able to demonstrate that you have paid sufficient contributions in a reference period
preceding your incapacity for work;
• there must not have been a period of interruption of more than 30 days between the date of
your incapacity for work and the last quarter of social security contributions.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
If you are an employee you must provide the medical adviser of your health insurance fund with a
medical certificate completed by the doctor who is treating you.
During an initial period the benefits are paid by the employer:
• white-collar workers receive 100% of their earnings for a month;
• manual workers receive
100% of their earnings for the first seven days of incapacity;
85.88% from the 8th to the 14th day of incapacity, or via a supplementary allowance;
From the 15th to 30th day: 25.88% of compensation not exceeding the ceiling set by the disability health
insurance and 85.88% of the amount exceeding the ceiling.
The sickness insurance starts when the guaranteed salary period paid by the employer is over he compensation rate is 60% of earnings. The ceiling taken into account for the compensation is
€ 183.1311 per day (for incapacities from 1 January 2024).
If you are still unable to work after a year, you will be entitled to invalidity benefit.
More information on the INAMI website.
If you are self-employed, you must meet the following conditions:
• You must have completed a waiting period of 6 months or be exempt;
• You must be able to demonstrate that you have paid sufficient contributions for the
compensation sector in a reference period preceding your incapacity for work;
There must not have been a period of interruption of more than 30 days between the date of your
incapacity for work and the last quarter of social security contributions (or equivalent period) or an
exemption from social security contributions
Benefits in respect of accidents at work and occupational diseases
This chapter tells you what you need to know in order to claim benefits in respect of accidents at work
and occupational diseases in Belgium.
In what situation can I claim?
• An accident at work is defined as “any accident that happens to a worker during the course and
by the fact of the performance of his contract of employment and which causes an injury”.
• If the occupational disease is on the official list and the victim is employed in a sector where he
or she is exposed to that risk, the causal link between the exposure and the disease is
presumed. An open system coexists alongside the list.
What conditions do I need to meet?
Occupational diseases
If you are employed in the private sector, bound by a contract of employment, you are insured. The
following are also insured:
• apprentices and trainees, even if these receive no remuneration;
• persons who, because of a physical work incapacity or unemployment, are undertaking a
vocational rehabilitation or training course;
• pupils and students who are exposed to a risk of occupational disease during their studies.
If you are employed in the public sector, you are insured against the risk of occupational disease.
However, the administrative route to be followed by a particular case is not the same depending on the
relevant authority or body.
If you are a self-employed worker you are not yet covered by mandatory insurance in relation to
occupational diseases. Nonetheless you can still apply to the sickness and invalidity insurance scheme
for self-employed workers.
Accidents at work
Any worker who is incapacitated as a result of an accident at work is entitled to compensation. An
accident at work is defined as:
• A sudden event (which distinguishes an accident at work from an occupational disease) which
causes an injury and which happens during the course and by the fact of the performance of
the contract of employment;
• Accidents at work on the way to and from work.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
Occupational diseases
Victims of an occupational disease or persons entitled on their behalf are entitled to compensation paid
by the Federal Agency For Occupational Risks (l’Agence fédérale pour les risques professionnels –
Fedris). You may be entitled to one of the following compensations:
• for permanent loss of working capacity;
• for temporary loss of working capacity;
• for reimbursement of medical costs related to the treatment of an occupational disease;
• for the assistance of another person;
• after a death caused by an occupational disease, the compensation is then paid to the persons
entitled on their behalf.
Please note. The information which appears on this page only applies to paid employees in the private
sector. Salaried workers in the public sector should contact their public sector personnel department.
You can never receive compensation which is higher than the maximum amount of your basic salary.
This is also the case if you receive several compensation payments from Fedris because, for example,
you have contracted different occupational diseases, and for any compensations paid following an
accident at work.
Accidents at work
• Any worker who is incapacitated as a result of an accident at work is entitled to compensation;
• the costs of medical care provided to the victims of an accident at work are reimbursed;
• in the event of a death resulting from an accident at work, the close relatives may be entitled to
an annuity.
In the event of an accident at work, you are entitled to compensation for:
• temporary total or partial loss of working capacity (you receive daily allowances);
• permanent loss of working capacity (you receive an allowance during the review period and an
annuity after that period).
The compensations, allowances and annuities are calculated from the starting point of the basic
remuneration.
Invalidity benefits
This chapter tells you what you need to know in order to claim invalidity benefits in Belgium.
In what situation can I claim?
When you have been certified as having been incapacitated from work for more than a year you switch
to invalidity. The period of invalidity therefore begins from the second year of your inability to work.
What conditions do I need to meet?
If you are employee or unemployed you must:
• be registered with a mutual health insurance fund, as holder;
• have worked for 180 days within a period of one year. Certain periods of inactivity, for example
paid leave, sickness absence, etc., are counted as working periods;
• be certified as having been unable to work for a year;
• demonstrate that the minimum contributions have been paid.
If you are a self-employed worker:
• You must have completed a work placement of 6 months or be exempt;
• You must be able to demonstrate that you have paid sufficient contributions for the
compensation sector in a reference period preceding your incapacity for work;
• There must not have been a period of interruption of more than 30 days between the date of
your incapacity for work and the last quarter of social security contributions (or equivalent
period) or an exemption from social security contributions.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
It is the Invalidity Medical Council (Conseil médical de l’invalidité – CMI) of the INAMI which decides
whether to certify the invalidity and on any possible extensions on the basis of a medical report drawn
up by the medical officer of the employee’s mutual insurance fund.
The invalidity benefit payments can continue until retirement age, provided that the beneficiary continues
to fulfil the medical conditions.
Amount
The amount of the benefit depends on your family circumstances and on the date the incapacity started:
• It amounts to 65% of the lost earnings (capped), if the incapacitated person has at least one
dependant (maximum € 119.04 per day for incapacities occurring from 1 January 2024);
• If you have no dependants, this amount is set at 55% (maximum € 100.72 from 1 January 2024);
• If there is a cohabitant the rate is 40% of the lost earnings (capped), maximum € 73.25 per day
for invalidities occurring from 1 January 2024.
The daily compensation cannot be lower than the following amounts (as at 1st February 2025):
• for a regular worker: € 79.51 (with dependants), € 63.01 (single, without dependants) or € 54.02
(cohabitation without dependants);
• with regard to a non-regular worker: € 68.31 with dependant(s) and € 50.55 for others.
If the dependant receives a monthly income below € 1,231.01, the holder is regarded as having a
dependant.
If the dependent receives a monthly professional income between € 1,231.01 and € 2,111.89, the holder
is considered single.
It is the same if the dependent has a monthly replacement income (possibly combined with a
professional income) between € 1,231.01 and € 1, 354.81.
More information about the amounts of invalidity benefit for employees can be found on the INAMI
website.
If you are a self-employed worker, the amount of your sickness benefit is a flat-rate amount which
depends on your family circumstances. During the period of invalidity it also depends on the cessation
or otherwise of her business.
The amount of the benefit is linked to the index. Sickness benefits are paid by your mutual insurance
fund.
Survivors’ benefits
This chapter tells you what you need to know in order to claim survivors’ benefits in Belgium.
If you have worked and paid social insurance contributions in another European Union country, your
period of work and the contributions you have paid can be taken into account as part of the benefit
calculation.
In what situation can I claim?
In the event of death, the survivor’s pension enables the surviving spouse to obtain a pension calculated
on the employment or self-employment career of his/her deceased spouse. Originally, the survivor’s
pension was reserved for widows but since 1984 it has also applied to widowers.
What conditions do I need to meet?
In order to benefit from a survivor’s pension you must:
• have reached the age of 50 years (if death in 2025);
• have been married to the worker for at least a year at the time of the death (or in a situation
considered as similar);
• be an unremarried widow or widower. If remarried, the survivor’s pension is suspended;
• not have been recognized as unworthy of inheriting because of offences committed against your
spouse.
Situations considered as similar to a year of marriage:
• the marriage was directly preceded by a period of legal cohabitation and the total of these
periods (cohabitation + marriage) is at least 1 year;
• a child was born from your marriage or your child was born within three hundred days of the
death of your spouse;
• at the time of death, a child was a dependant for whom you or your spouse were receiving family
benefits;
• the death was due to an accident subsequent to the date of the marriage;
• the death was due to an occupational disease contracted in the exercise or on the occasion of
the exercise of the profession: the origin or the exacerbation of this disease, however, must be
later than the date of your marriage;
• the death was due to an occupational disease contracted in the course of an assignment from
the Belgian government or in the context of Belgian technical assistance: the origin or the
exacerbation of this disease, however, must be later than the date of your marriage.
A surviving spouse who does not fulfil the age condition but fulfils the other conditions to be eligible to
the survivor’s pension is entitled to a transitional allowance for:
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
Generally, it is necessary to apply for a survivor’s pension. However there are instances where the
assessment is carried out automatically, without prior request.
You can apply for your survivor’s pension via this website: http://www.mypension.be.
Amount
For the employees’ scheme, the parameters used to calculate the amount of the survivor’s pension
vary depending on whether your spouse was a pensioner or not.
• If our spouse was receiving a pension (calculated at the household rate or at the single rate).
The amount of the survivor’s pension amounts to 80% of the pension calculated at the
household rate of the deceased spouse (which corresponds to a pension at the single rate);
• If your spouse was not yet in receipt of a pension. The survivor’s pension is then 80% of the
projected retirement pension which would have been awarded to the spouse. However, certain
special rules are aimed at reducing the inequalities.
The calculation of your transitional allowance is always the same: it follows the rules applied to the
calculation of the survivor’s pension when the deceased spouse was not yet retired.
More information available on the SPF website: http://www.sfpd.fgov.be/fr or on
https://www.socialsecurity.be.
For the self-employed workers’ scheme, the pension calculation varies depending on the fact that your
deceased spouse had reached the pension age and/or was receiving or not a retirement pension when
he/she died.
The pension amount is determined among other factors by:
• the duration of the professional career of the deceased spouse;
• the importance of the employment earnings received for each valid year of the professional
career of your deceased spouse.
If the conditions for creating a right to the minimum pension are fulfilled, the amount of your survivor’s
pension is also calculated on the basis of the flat-rate minimum pension and the duration of the career
of your deceased spouse.
Only the highest pension amount (according to employment earnings or according to the minimum
pension) is granted.
In case a personal pension (retirement and/or survivor’s) is received, the amount of the survivor’s
pension may be limited.
If only the age condition is not fulfilled, you will be entitled to a transitional allowance.
For the civil servants’ scheme, the calculation of the survivor’s pension amount depends on the
relation with the deceased civil servant (spouse or ex-spouse). Survivor’s pensions for orphans are also
provided.
The amount of the survivor’s pension received as spouse is calculated as follows: 60% of the reference
salary multiplied by the ratio between, on the one hand, the eligible periods and services expressed in
terms of months, identical to those who would be taken into consideration for a retirement pension
starting on the same date and, on the other hand, the number of months between the 20th birthday and
the death, with a maximum of 480 months. This ratio can never be higher than 1. The reference salary
corresponds to the average salary of the last 10 years in the career of the deceased civil servant.
When a spouse and an ex-spouse are taken into consideration for a survivor’s pension when the death
occurs, the survivor’s pension of the spouse is shared between the spouse and the ex-spouse. The
share paid to the ex-spouse is calculated on the basis of the number of career years coinciding with the
marriage. When the survivor’s pension is shared, the surviving spouse always receives at least half of
the survivor’s pension amount. Possible orphans may be entitled to a part of the pension.
The transitional allowance is calculated in the same way as the survivor’s pension for the spouse. It is
granted in its entirety to the surviving spouse. There is no sharing with orphans or ex-spouses from
another marriage.
Old-age pensions and benefits
This chapter tells you what you need to know in order to claim a pension and other old-age benefits in
Belgium.
If you have worked and paid old-age insurance contributions in another European Union country, your
period of work and the contributions you have paid can be taken into account in the calculation of the
amount of your pension.
In what situation can I claim?
Every person who has worked either as a paid employee, a self-employed person or a public sector
employee in Belgium has a right to a retirement pension at the end of their career.
What conditions do I need to meet?
In Belgium the legal pension age is set at:
• 65 years for those born before 1 January 1960;
• 66 years for those born after 31 December 1959 and before 1 January 1964;
• 67 years for those born after 31 December 1964
However, all individuals can receive an early retirement pension, if certain age and career conditions
are met. From 1 January 2019 onwards, recipients have to be at least 63 years of age and have 42
years of service.
There are exceptions for long careers; pension can be taken at 60 for those with 44 years of service,
and 61 for those with 43 years of service.
Depending on the profession, there are 3 pension regimes in force:
• For employees, the amount of the pension is calculated based on three parameters: the length
of the professional career, the remuneration received during the career and the family
circumstances.
For self-employed workers the parameters which come into play are identical to those used in
the regime for salaried workers (career, remuneration and family circumstances). However
certain aspects are different.
• For civil servants the pension regime is different from that for employees. The earnings obtained
throughout the career are not taken into consideration, but a reference salary is used which
corresponds to the average of the last 10 years’ salary for the public servant who was not aged
50 as at 1 January 2012.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
The pension for employees is calculated in relation to the length of insurance, earnings on which
contributions have been paid (within the ceiling limit) and the family circumstances of the pensioner. It
is based on the following formulae (S = the reference salary)
• For a single person or a married person without a dependent spouse: S x 60% x length of period
of insurance / 45;
• For a married person with a dependent spouse: S x 75% x length of period of insurance / 45.
Other benefits, linked to pensions, may be provided for the elderly:
• the heating allowance granted to retired miners (€ 38.68 per year): it is awarded for each year
of work completed in the mines with a maximum of 30 years (maximum € 1,160.37);
• a holiday allowance and supplementary holiday allowance: the holiday allowance is granted
annually to recipients of an old-age pension for the month of May in the current year. The
allowance is a flat-rate amount and depends on the type of pension.
Whether you are an employee, self-employed or civil servant, you can submit your pension application
• to the municipal administration of your place of residence;
• by going to a Pointpension of the Federal Pension Service or of the National Insurance Institute
for the Self-employed (INASTI);
If you live in another EU Member State, you must send your application to the local pension institution
in that State.
The right to social integration
This chapter tells you what you need to know in order to be entitled to the right to social integration in
Belgium.
In what situation can I claim?
If your means of support are insufficient and you are unable to obtain adequate income yourself you are
entitled, in principle, to a right to social integration.
Three instruments are available to the public centres for social assistance (CPAS) in order to guarantee
the right to social integration: employment, the integration income and the individualized social
integration project, or a mix of these instruments.
What conditions do I need to meet?
You are entitled to a right to social integration in three particular circumstances:
• from the moment you apply until such time as you actually start working or you have sufficient
resources;
• if you are benefiting from, and complying with the requirements of, an individualised project for
social integration;
• if you are unable to access the labour market for health reasons or on grounds of equity.
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
The entitlement to social integration is a residual right in relation to social security, which is granted by
the CPAS (Centre public d’action sociale – Public Centre for Social Assistance) to any person who meets
all the legal conditions set out in legislation in relation to the right to social integration. These conditions
essentially relate to nationality, residence in Belgium, age and insufficient resources.
The amount depends on the category to which you belong:
• If you live with someone with whom you share the household expenses (rent, energy, etc.), you
will be regarded as cohabiting and can receive an amount of € 842.12 per month. It need not
necessarily be your partner;
• If you live alone, you will be regarded as single and can receive an amount of € 1,263.17 per
month;
• If you have at least one child who is a minor in your care, you will be deemed as having a
dependent family and you can receive an amount of € 1,707.11 per month.
The CPAS has to take into account all of your resources except certain resources which are exempt as
well as, under certain circumstances, the resources of the people with whom you live (the spouse, but
also a first-generation ascendant or descendant). Therefore you may not receive the full amount
equating to the social integration income referred to above, because your own resources have to be deducted from that amount.
Other social assistance allowances
This chapter tells you what you need to know in order to benefit from other social assistance allowances
in Belgium.
In what situation can I claim?
If your means of support are inadequate and you cannot change this situation by yourself, you are
entitled, in principle, to other social assistance allowances in addition to social integration income:
• Guaranteed income for elderly persons (GRAPA);
• Allowances for disabled persons (ARR and additional family benefits).
What conditions do I need to meet?
Guaranteed income for elderly persons (GRAPA)
The GRAPA or guaranteed income for elderly persons is a minimum income allocated by the authorities
to the aged people who have reached pension age, subject to certain conditions relating to nationality
and residence in Belgium. The GRAPA is awarded when a person has insufficient means to live.
Allowances for disabled persons
The federal authorities grant financial assistance to disabled persons who do not have sufficient income
to provide for their needs. The allowances system for disabled persons is intended for the most deprived.
This is a residual scheme. Disabled persons must meet certain conditions in order to benefit from this
social assistance (certification of disability, income, age).
Income replacement allowance (ARR)
It can be awarded to a disabled person if their disability limits their capacity to work and therefore their
ability to acquire an income through work. This assistance is however linked to several conditions, such
as:
• nationality;
• age;
• status;
• place of real residence;
• income (of the disabled person and of the person with whom they share a household).
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
Guaranteed income for elderly persons (GRAPA)
As soon as you reach the legal retirement age, the Federal Pensions Service (SFP) automatically
checks if you are entitled to the GRAPA. Entitlement to this financial assistance is automatically
considered if you are receiving an allowance for disabled persons or the integration income and reach
the statutory pension age.
• If you live with one or more persons, you can receive the basic amount of € 15,158.04 per
annum (or € 1,263.17 per month);
• If you live alone, you can receive the higher amount of € 20,485.32 per annum (or € 1,707.11
per month).
If you have applied for a pension this also constitutes a GRAPA application. If you have not applied for
a pension you should contact your municipal administration or the Federal Pensions Service.
Allowances for disabled persons:
• the income replacement allowance (ARR): the amount of the allowance is defined based on the
family circumstances of the disabled person: single, in a household, cohabiting, dependent
children, in an institution;
• the additional family benefits for children with disabilities. To obtain this allowance please
contact your family benefits fund.
Disabled persons are also entitled to social and fiscal benefits, with for example:
• a reduction in taxes;
• access to social housing;
• parking card.
More information about social and fiscal benefits for disabled persons is available on the website of the
FPS Social Security
Unemployment
This chapter tells you what you need to know in order to claim unemployment benefits in Belgium.
If you have worked and paid social security contributions in another European Union country, your period
of work and the contributions you have paid can, under certain conditions, be taken into account in the
calculation of the amount of your benefits in Belgium.
In what situation can I claim?
Employees covered by social security can obtain unemployment benefits if they meet the necessary
conditions.
Young persons who are unemployed after their vocational training can, in certain circumstances, receive
a flat-rate allowance called an integration benefit, the amount of which varies depending on their family
situation and their age. Payment of this benefit is limited to three years.
No unemployment insurance scheme exists for self-employed persons. However there is a transitional
benefit (a financial benefit and continuation of some social security rights in the event of forced cessation
of work in the event of force majeure or cessation because of economic difficulties. This benefit is not
granted by unemployment insurance. It should be requested from the self-employed worker’s social
insurance fund.
What conditions do I need to meet?
To be eligible for unemployment benefits, you must meet the following conditions:
• You must have worked a minimum number of days (between 312 and 624) during a specific
period (from 21 to 42 months), depending on your age;
• You must be unemployed and without income due to circumstances beyond your control;
• You must be able to work and be available for employment;
• You must register as a job seeker with the relevant regional employment service (FOREM,
Actiris or VDAB) and be willing to accept suitable employment or participate in training offered;
• You must actively seek employment yourself and cooperate with the support and training
programs offered by the employment service. Individual interviews are held to assess your
efforts to reintegrate into the labour market. If your efforts are deemed insufficient, payment of
your benefits may be suspended;
• You must not have reached retirement age (65 years);
• Your usual place of residence must be in Belgium.
The Supplementary Unemployment Benefit Scheme (RCC) allows certain older workers to receive
additional compensation alongside their unemployment benefits. To be eligible for the Supplementary
Unemployment Benefit Scheme (RCC), you must:
Be 62 years of age with a work history of 40 years (men) or 38 years (women);
• Have been dismissed from your job;
• Be entitled to unemployment benefits;
• Leave the labour market.
More information about the RCC is available on the ONEM website: http://www.onem.be/fr
What am I entitled to and how can I claim?
Unemployment benefits are granted for all the days of the week except Sunday.
You have to apply for benefits to your trade union or to the Auxiliary Unemployment Benefits Fund (the
CAPAC).
Duration
The duration of the payment of unemployment benefit is, in principle, unlimited. However, the amount
of the benefit gradually reduces (“digression”) depending on the duration of the unemployment and
taking into account the previous work history as an employee. The current minimums for the amounts
of benefit are nonetheless guaranteed. Moreover, you must be making effective attempts to find work
and, as appropriate, adhere to the action plan which has been put in place for you. Otherwise your
benefits may be reduced or temporarily suspended.
Amount
The amount of the benefit depends on:
• the amount of the last salary received (subject to an upper monthly limit of € 3,299.11 for the
first 6 months of unemployment, of € 3,074.83 for the 6 following months and of € 2,873.36 after
12 months);
• the family situation (cohabiting with dependent family, single, cohabiting without dependent
family) starting from the second year of unemployment;
• the length of your professional activity prior to your unemployment situation;
• the length of time since you registered as unemployed. For the first year (3 + 3 + 6 months):
Amount of the last salary received
first 3 months of unemployment 65%
next 3 months 60%
following 6 months 60%
This first one-year period is followed by a 2-month period, extended by 2 months per year of working
career as employee. This second period cannot exceed 36 months and is subdivided in 5 phases.
During the first phase lasting 12 months maximum:
• cohabitants with dependent family members receive 60% of the last pay received;
• single persons receive 55% of the last pay received;
• cohabitants with no dependent family members receive 40% of the last pay received.
During the next four phases totalling 24 months maximum, the allowances are reduced in four stages.
During the third period, after maximum 48 months of unemployment, the full-time unemployed person
receives a flat-rate allowance.
Digression of the amount of benefit does not apply to persons:
• with a long professional past (at least 25 years);
• aged 55 or over;
who are permanently unemployable for at least one third of the time.
Unemployed persons aged 60 and over may be entitled, under certain conditions, to a “seniority
supplement” from the 2nd year of unemployment. In particular the beneficiary must be able to
demonstrate a working career of at least 20 years. The amount of the seniority supplement depends on
the family circumstances and the age of the applicant.
Income guarantee benefit (AGR – Allocation de garantie de revenu)
If you are unemployed and you undertake part-time work in certain cases you can receive a
supplementary allowance which is additional to your earnings. This income guarantee benefit (AGR)
aims to guarantee that you have an overall income which:
• is at least equal to your unemployment benefit if your part-time work does not exceed 1/3 of
your time;
• is higher than your unemployment benefit if your part-time work exceeds 1/3 of your time.
