Care Fund and care contribution
What does a Care Fund do?
A Care Fund manages the day-to-day operation of the Flemish Social Protection. Both for those who contribute and for those who rely on a care budget:
This video is in Dutch.
Flemish Social Protection
Your care contribution goes entirely towards the Flemish Social Protection, supporting people who need extra help in their daily lives.
Why join the Helan Care Fund?
Join the Helan Care Fund and manage all aspects of the legally required health insurance with one trusted partner. That’s simple and convenient for your administration.
And there’s more. If you need an additional care budget later in life, Helan will arrange both your financial support and your care plan. This makes an already challenging care situation much easier to manage from an administrative point of view.
Who needs to join a Care Fund?
Are you over the age of 25 and living in Flanders? Then joining a Care Fund is mandatory. By doing so, you contribute to the Flemish Social Protection and make sure everything is in order should you need extra support later on.
Do you live in Brussels? Then joining is voluntary.
Do you work in the Flemish or Brussels Region but live elsewhere? In some cases, you may also be required or entitled to join.
You automatically join by paying your annual care contribution. The Care Fund linked to your health insurance or the Flemish Care Fund will send you a payment request. This way, your registration is arranged quickly and easily.
Good to know
The Flemish Social Protection exists thanks to your solidarity. Over 4.5 million people pay their care contribution every year. That contribution is used to support more than 300,000 people with care needs every month through a care budget.
Care budgets and mobility aids
Every care fund makes sure that members who need extra support receive it. They pay out care budgets and contribute towards mobility aids. This is how, together, we make everyday life a little easier for people with care needs.
There are different types of care budgets, for…
Not sure whether you are entitled to a care budget? Our social workers will be happy to look into it with you.
By paying the care premium, you help people like Ruiz, aged 6. He often uses a wheelchair and finds walking difficult. Thanks to the care budget, he can access the right aids and attend a specialised therapeutic centre in Leuven.
Of course, we would send Ruiz to Leuven even without the budget, because he’s your child and you would do anything for them. But the care budget makes it much easier for us.
Frequently asked questions about the Care Fund
If you live in Flanders and are over 25, joining a care fund is mandatory. As soon as you officially live in Flanders for just one day, you are required to pay the full contribution for that year.
If you are under 26, you cannot join yet. However, you can apply for a benefit or a care budget. The care fund will then create your file.
If you do not take any steps yourself to join a recognised care fund, you will be automatically registered with the Flemish Care Fund, the care fund of the Flemish government.
If you live in the Brussels-Capital Region (postcode 1000 to 1210), joining a care fund is not mandatory.
In Brussels, joining the Flemish Social Protection scheme is not mandatory. If two contributions remain unpaid or are only partially paid, the affiliation of Brussels residents is automatically stopped to avoid a fine. If you decide to rejoin at a later stage, a waiting period of five years will apply. You can find more information here.
- In specific situations, joining the Flemish Social Protection scheme is not mandatory, for example if you live in Flanders and work or have worked abroad, or if you are studying abroad. If you do join, or rejoin after a period of interruption, a waiting period of five years applies. You can find more information on this website.
- Do you live abroad and receive an invoice for Flemish Social Protection? If you are socially insured in Belgium and your current (or most recent) employer is based in Flanders, joining a care fund is mandatory. If your current (or most recent) employer is based in Brussels, joining is voluntary. Read more here.
Joining a care fund is mandatory in Flanders and optional in Brussels. That’s why it’s important to inform your care fund if your place of residence changes.
In the following situations, you should notify your care fund in writing so your file can be closed:
- If you live in the Brussels-Capital Region or are insured abroad, your affiliation is optional and you can cancel it voluntarily. To do so, send the voluntary resignation form to Helan.
- If you no longer live in Flanders or Brussels, your affiliation will automatically end at the end of the current year.
- In the event of death, the affiliation ends immediately and the membership contribution no longer needs to be paid.
In Flanders, joining a care fund is mandatory. You cannot cancel your affiliation.
Most people are affiliated with the care fund linked to their health insurance fund, such as Helan Care Fund. Are you currently with the Flemish Care Fund? No problem: you can switch at any time. The contribution stays the same. If you choose Helan Care Fund, you can arrange everything related to your legally required health insurance through one partner. That way, it stays simple and clear.
To manage your file as accurately as possible, your care fund needs certain information.
Please inform Helan Care Fund in writing if:
- you no longer live in Flanders or Brussels
- you live in Brussels or move to Brussels and do not wish to remain affiliated
- you are admitted to a collective debt settlement or have been declared personally bankrupt: provide the court ruling so you can be exempted from paying contributions
- the collective debt settlement or bankruptcy ends: provide us with the official end date stated in the court ruling
- you move from living at home or a home situation to a residential care facility
- you (also) receive another allowance, such as a personal assistance budget or an integration allowance
Does a partner, family member or neighbour help you with your administration? Or do you have care needs and does an informal carer take care of everything for you? Make sure to register a contact person in your file, so we can easily reach them if we have any questions.
Frequently asked questions about the care contribution
The care contribution is a solidarity payment. Thanks to this contribution, people who need daily support, such as older people or people with a disability, can count on extra help. It is mandatory under Flemish government regulations.
In 2026, the contribution for Flemish Social Protection amounts to 100 euros per year.
This amount applies to each family member aged over 25 and is indexed annually.
People entitled to an increased reimbursement (on 1 January of the previous year) pay 35 euros in 2026. This amount applies to each family member aged over 25 and is indexed annually.
Your care contribution must be paid by 30 April each year. The first payment must be made by bank transfer. After that, you can choose to pay by direct debit. At the start of the year, you will receive either a transfer form or an overview showing when which amount will be debited from your account.
Have you been admitted to a collective debt settlement or declared personally bankrupt? In that case, you are exempt from paying contributions for as long as this arrangement is in place. Please provide us with the ‘decision of admissibility’, which is the court ruling.
The Flemish government has increased the contribution to keep Flemish Social Protection sustainable. Due to the growing demand for care budgets, an additional contribution is needed so we can continue to support everyone. The government made this decision in 2025, and in 2026 you will feel the impact in practice.
No, the contribution must be paid in one single payment.
Only those who were already entitled to an increased reimbursement on 1 January of the previous year may pay the reduced care contribution. In that case, the reduced contribution is applied automatically to your file.
No, only your situation on 1 January of the previous year is taken into account for this year.
In that case, you are exempt from payment for as long as the arrangement is in place. Did you still receive an invoice? Then please send us the court ruling (‘decision of admissibility’).
You pay your first contribution in the year you turn 26. You will automatically receive an invitation for your first payment.
Yes, if your (most recent) employer is based in Flanders, you are required to pay the care contribution.
Frequently asked questions about care budgets and mobility aids
That depends on your situation. Flemish Social Protection provides different care budgets, each aimed at people who need extra support.
Do you live at home with high care needs, or do you live in a recognised residential care centre? In that case, you may be entitled to a care budget. If you live at home, you can apply for this yourself via Helan. If you live in a residential care centre, this is arranged automatically for you. Here you can find more information.
Are you 66 or older, do you live in Flanders, have a limited income and struggle with daily tasks? Then the care budget for older people with care needs may offer extra support. Find out more here.
Do you have a recognised disability and need specific support? Then there is a care budget for people with a disability. The care fund will contact you directly when you become eligible. Read more here.
Not sure whether you are entitled to a care budget? Our social workers will be happy to look into this together with you.
How you apply for a care budget depends on your personal situation. Each care budget has its own conditions and application steps.
Here you can find how to apply for a care budget for people with high care needs.
Read here how to apply for a care budget for older people with care needs.
Are you eligible for the care budget for people with a disability? Helan will be informed automatically and will take care of everything for you. You do not need to submit an application yourself.
You can find more information about mobility aids on this page, where we also explain how to apply for a mobility aid.
Does a partner, family member or neighbour help you with your administration? Or do you have care needs and does an informal carer take care of everything for you? Make sure to register a contact person in your file, so we can easily reach them if we have any questions.