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Towards an Extended Disability Allowance: What Changes

A new bill modifies the legislation on allowances for disabled persons in Belgium to remove the age limit of 65 years. Here are the issues, implications, and next steps of this reform.


A reform that redefines rights beyond 65 years old

Belgian legislation currently provides that allowances for disabled persons (such as the integration allowance or the income replacement allowance) stop at the age of 65 years. A proposed amendment adopted by the Council of Ministers aims to remove this age limit, thus aligning the allowance rights with the legal retirement age (66 years).

This means that, if the reform is approved, a person with a disability will be able to apply for an allowance even after turning 65 years old, which was not possible before. Those already receiving the allowance will continue to receive it beyond this limit.

The National Higher Council for Disabled Persons (CSNPH) was consulted and gave an opinion on this project, notably on the transition arrangements, budgetary constraints, and the balance between rights and public resources.

 


What this reform means for the people concerned

  • ✅ Retention of rights: current beneficiaries will not lose their allowance after 65 years old.

  • ✅ Expanded access: persons over 65 years old will now be able to apply for an allowance if they meet the criteria.

  • ⚠️ Gradual implementation: the text still needs to be voted on by Parliament, validated by the Council of State, and then published in the Belgian Official Gazette, with a transition period.

  • ⚠️ Ensuring coherence: the reform must take into account the coordination between disability allowances, allowances for elderly persons, and pensions, to avoid conflicts or interruptions in rights.

  • ⚠️ Financial & budgetary burden: the State will need to provide the necessary resources to cover this expansion of rights.

This reform marks a turning point in recognizing disability as a permanent condition, not an obstacle that ends at the threshold of 65 years old.


Sources

  • Amendment of legislation on allowances: https://news.belgium.be/en/modification-of-legislation-on-allowances-for-disabled-persons

  • Additional information on disability allowances in Belgium: https://handicap.belgium.be/en/news-information-on-the-bill-related-to-the-maximum-age-to-apply-for-allowances

 

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