The information contained on this page was compiled in April 2009 by our country team.

Contact:
Jef Breda
University of Antwerp - Information Research Unit on Welfare and the Welfare state
E-mail: jef.breda@ua.ac.be

The full text can be downloaded here.

The key national bodies with responsibility for disability law and policy implementation include:

There is a Secretary of State for People with Disabilities but most disability policy falls within the separate jurisdictions of the Flemish Community, the Walloon Region, the French Community, Commission of the Brussels-Capital Region and the German-speaking Community.

Belgium has ratified the United Nations Convention and the Optional Protocol.

Key features of the national system include (including adapted items from the MISSOC database December 2008):

Disability benefits

Disability benefits fall under the responsibility of the Federal Service for Social Security. The objective of Social Assistance is to ensure that everyone has the right to a basic level of income.