Financial and practical help for informal carers
What allowances are you entitled to as an informal carer? What types of carer's leave are there? And how can you get practical help when you are caring for a loved one? Helan points you towards the right support.
How much does an informal carer receive?
Informal care comes from the heart and is not about money. By definition, an informal carer is someone who provides unpaid help and care. But however willingly you give, caring for someone asks a lot of you. Financially too. That is why there are various financial support measures for informal carers. Find out below which allowances exist, which ones you are entitled to and how to apply for them.
What allowances are available?
There are plenty of allowances, benefits and financial support measures for informal carers and people in need of care. Would you like personal advice? Get in touch with our social workers.
In some Flemish municipalities, you can apply for a municipal informal care allowance. Other allowances for people who depend on care are sometimes available too. The amount and the conditions can vary from one region to another.
You will find more information about the options in your municipality at rechtenverkenner.be. You can also contact your local authority, the public social welfare centre (OCMW) in your municipality or our social workers.
Are you an employee taking motivated time credit or thematic leave? Your loss of income is then compensated by a benefit from the RVA and the Flemish incentive bonus.
Are you self-employed? Under the informal care scheme, you can take a break to look after a family or household member who is ill or in need of care. You receive a temporary benefit from your social insurance fund.
The person in need of care that you look after is also entitled to financial support and assistance. There are plenty of options for people with a long-term care need:
Is informal care taxable and tax-deductible?
Some informal carers are entitled to an increased tax-free allowance. This means that a larger part of your income is not taxed. The government recently raised this allowance from 3,270 euros to 4,900 euros.
You qualify for this tax benefit as an informal carer if:
- You care for and live with a (grand)parent, brother or sister over the age of 65 who was part of your household on 1 January 2022. This means that you are the head of the household and that the person you want to claim as a dependant genuinely and permanently lives with you.
- The person in need of care scores at least 9 points on the self-reliance scale. Our social services will gladly look into the possibility of submitting an application for this to the FPS Social Security.
- The person in need of care has a limited income.
Read all the details on the website of the FPS Finance.
Can I take leave as an informal carer?
Whether you do it every day or only part of the time, informal care can be intensive. Combining it with your regular job is not always easy. Fortunately, you can take leave as an informal carer.
As an employee or civil servant, you can take carer's leave. You can do this on a full-time basis or by reducing your working hours by one fifth or by half. Self-employed people, unemployed people and pensioners cannot apply for carer's leave.
This way, you free up time for the person who is counting on your care. There are four leave schemes designed for informal carers
With thematic leave, you receive a benefit from the RVA (employees) or from your social insurance fund (self-employed people). There are various forms of thematic leave.
Care leave or leave for medical assistance (employees)
- You can interrupt your work for 1 to 3 months per seriously ill patient, with the option to shorten or extend this period.
- The person in need of care is a relative (by blood or by marriage) or a household member you live with.
- You can take care leave on a full-time or half-time basis, or as a one fifth reduction.
Parental leave (employees)
- You are entitled to between 4 and 20 months of parental leave, depending on the type of interruption you request.
- You can take parental leave on a full-time or half-time basis, or as a one fifth reduction, until your child turns 12.
Palliative leave (employees)
You can interrupt your work for 1 month to provide palliative care.
Two extensions of 1 month each are possible per patient.
Carer's leave (employees and self-employed people)
As an informal carer, you can apply for 36 months of time credit to care for a seriously ill household member or relative (up to the second degree), or to provide palliative care. This is what we call motivated time credit.
You receive the benefit from the RVA.
If a household member or relative needs care because of illness, or after an accident or a hospital stay, you can take leave for compelling reasons. You are entitled to a maximum of 10 days' leave per calendar year.
A household member is someone you live with. A relative is your spouse or the person you legally cohabit with, and your blood relatives to the first degree.
Leave for compelling reasons is only available to contract staff. This means that you have an employment contract of fixed or indefinite duration. For statutory staff, there is "exceptional leave on grounds of force majeure".
Let your employer know as soon as possible if you need to take leave for compelling reasons. You do not receive any income from your employer, unless agreed otherwise.
Unpaid leave is of course an option too. Discuss the possibilities with your employer.
It is best to opt for unpaid leave only if the other leave schemes are not available to you, because you have no income during this period.
How do I apply for carer's leave?
Submit an application to your health insurance fund to be recognised as an informal carer with social rights. The certificate from the health insurance fund remains valid for one year.
Once we have granted your recognition, you must request your employer’s approval at least 7 days in advance. You should apply for informal care leave in writing, by letter or registered mail, and attach proof of your recognition as an informal carer with social benefits.
Apply for the interruption allowance from the National Employment Office (RVA).
How do I register as a contact person or authorised representative?
Are you an informal carer who wants to save a loved one a lot of questions and paperwork? Then register digitally as a contact person or as an authorised representative.
With a healthcare power of attorney, you manage the health insurance fund and insurance file of the person you support. Please note: only one authorised representative can be appointed per file, so make clear arrangements about this.
You can arrange everything in no time via My Helan.
Benefits and reimbursements
Helan supports you with attractive benefits and reimbursements. Here is a selection from our range: