Other social allowances
Certain categories of persons can receive supplementary social benefits in Belgium: more specifically people with a disability or handicap and the elderly.
The income replacement allowance is intended to compensate (partly) the income you are unable to earn due to your disability.
Are you between 21 and 65 years old? If your disability prevents you from working, or if you are able to work but can earn only one third or less of the income a person without a disability can earn on the general labour market (‘reduced earning capacity’), you may be entitled to the income replacement allowance (ARR).
Income replacement allowance
What are the eligibility requirements?
The income replacement allowance can be granted to disabled persons whose disability limits their ability to work (and thus their capacity to earn an income from work). However, specific conditions apply:
- nationality
- age
- place of residence
- income (of the disabled person and the person with whom he or she forms a household).
What am I entitled to and how do I apply for the benefit?
The amount of the income replacement allowance is determined on the basis of the family situation of the disabled person: single, married, cohabiting, dependent children, living in an institution.
More information is available in the Income replacement allowance section of the FPS Social security website (in French).
Integration allowance
This allowance is intended to improve the daily life of a disabled person (motorised wheelchair, special equipment, etc.)
More information is available in the Integration allowance section of the FPS Social security website (in French).
Guaranteed income for elderly persons (GRAPA)
In Belgium, people over the age of 65 who do not have sufficient financial means receive the guaranteed income for elderly persons benefit. The guaranteed income is not a pension. It is granted by the Federal Pension Service.
Nationals of EEA countries (the EU Member States plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland) are eligible for this benefit.
Conditions for receiving the guaranteed income (GRAPA)
You are entitled to the guaranteed income if you meet the following conditions:
- your financial means do not exceed a certain amount;
- you are at least 65 years old (at least 66 years old from 2025 and at least 67 years old from 2030);
- your main residence is in Belgium and you actually live there continuously.
You must notify the Pension Service if you leave Belgium, or stay at another address in Belgium for a continuous period of more than 21 days.
For more details, please see the Am I entitled to the guaranteed income for elderly persons section on the Federal pension service website (in French).
Amount of your guaranteed income (GRAPA)
How much you receive depends on your financial means and your family situation. The Federal Pension Service investigates this to determine the amount of your guaranteed income.
You can read about the provisions, the calculation method and the elements taken into account by the Federal Pension Service under the section How is the guaranteed income calculated on the Federal Pension Service website (in French).
How do you apply for the guaranteed income (GRAPA)?
In most cases you do not have to apply for the guaranteed income yourself. The Federal Pension Service automatically checks whether you are entitled to the income if you :
- apply for a pension in Belgium;
- already receive a pension in Belgium;
- receive a disability allowance and have reached the statutory retirement age;
- receive income support and have reached the statutory retirement age.
If you do not fall into one of these categories, you can apply for the guaranteed income yourself:
- online, at pensioenaanvraag.be (In Dutch);
- at a local pension information point (in French); or
- at the municipal council offices in your main place of residence.
You can find out everything you need to know on the page dedicated to the Guaranteed income for elderly persons on the Federal Pension Service website (in French).
Responsible entity
For any questions, please visit the Federal Pension Service website (in French).
Allowance for assistance to the elderly
This is an allowance for persons over the age of 65 who need assistance and have a low income.
Allowance for assistance to the elderly in Flanders (in Dutch)
Allowance for assistance to the elderly in Brussels (in French)
Allowance for assistance to the elderly in Wallonia (in French)
Allowance for assistance to the elderly in the German-speaking Community (in German)
Directorate-General for Disabled Persons of the FPS for Social Security
- Free telephone number for calls within Belgium: 0800 98 799
- Telephone number for calls from outside Belgium—charges apply: +32 (0)2 528 69 99
- Contact form on the website (in French)
- Website: www.handicap.belgium.be (in French)