Belgium Unveils Action Plan to Support Informal Caregivers
Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit) launched a comprehensive Action Plan for Informal Caregivers on 23 June 2026, the Day of the Caregiver, aiming to provide more breathing room for the millions of Belgians who provide unpaid care to loved ones. The plan focuses on administrative simplification, better information access, more flexible leave arrangements, and greater recognition for caregivers.
“We remove barriers and give caregivers the support they need, so they can focus on caring for their loved ones without being overwhelmed themselves,” Vandenbroucke said, as reported by Het Laatste Nieuws.
Context: The Scale of Informal Care in Belgium
While Belgium has over 30,000 officially recognized informal caregivers, caregiver associations estimate that up to 2 million people regularly provide informal care to family members, partners, or friends who are elderly, chronically ill, or disabled. The Council of Ministers gave Vandenbroucke a mandate to develop the action plan in February 2026, in collaboration with Minister of Equal Opportunities Rob Beenders (Vooruit), Minister of Employment David Clarinval (MR), and Minister of SMEs Eleonore Simonet (MR).
The Four Pillars of the Action Plan
1. Administrative Simplification
The plan introduces simplified application forms for caregiver recognition, automatic renewal for caregivers of dependents with permanent conditions, and QR codes on recognition certificates that redirect caregivers to support associations. A digital application procedure is under study, and a caregiver database will be created using information from health insurance funds to better understand caregivers’ needs.
“Asking a citizen to repeatedly prove what the administration already knows through medical certificates is legally inconsistent and also creates unnecessary administrative burden,” Vandenbroucke noted, according to the Walloon caregiver association Aidants Proches ASBL.
2. Information Transparency
A centralized information point will be created where all necessary information is bundled, and the official government website belgium.be will be updated with a dedicated section for caregivers. Upon recognition, caregivers will be immediately directed to information relevant to their specific situation. Health insurance funds will receive clear instructions on proactively informing and supporting caregivers, including mental health support options.
The government will also create a legal framework allowing caregivers to access necessary shared health data, treatment plans, and care instructions — with strict privacy safeguards including explicit consent from the care recipient.
3. Flexible Leave and Targeted Support
From 1 July 2026, caregivers will have the option to take more flexible leave arrangements. The minister will explore with the Employment Minister whether fractional leave could also be made available to self-employed workers. Training budgets will be allocated to help caregivers manage stress, set boundaries, and find work-life balance.
Special attention will be paid to young caregivers, who research shows have poorer mental and physical health than their non-caregiver peers. The minister also commits to psychoeducation on mental health risks associated with long-term caregiving.
4. Recognition and Visibility
Hospital toolkits to involve caregivers in care will be widely distributed, and the term ‘caregiver’ will be integrated via a checkbox in the Global Medical Record so that doctors are aware of the caregiver’s role. The definition of caregiver may be expanded to include care for people with severe psychological disorders. A study by the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE) on unmet health needs of caregivers is underway, with results expected in spring 2027.
Analysis and Reception
The Walloon caregiver association Aidants Proches ASBL gave a broadly positive assessment, noting that the plan contains “quite a lot of very concrete and very ambitious measures” and that most correspond to demands they had formulated in their pre-election memorandum. However, they noted that the plan is “still far from solving all the problems of the 2 million caregivers in Belgium.”
A key gap identified by the association is the absence of a new financial allowance for caregivers who cannot work full-time due to their care responsibilities. The association explicitly calls on Employment Minister Clarinval to create such an allowance before the end of the year.
What’s Next
The flexible caregiver leave takes effect on 1 July 2026, providing an immediate tangible benefit for caregivers. The plan’s broader success, however, depends on effective coordination with regional governments in Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels, which have their own competencies in welfare and healthcare. The KCE study due in spring 2027 may provide the evidence base for further reforms, including potential financial support mechanisms.
“Caregivers take care of vulnerable people. We must take care of them — they fully deserve it — and allow them to focus on providing care without having to worry about secondary issues,” Vandenbroucke said. “They are an essential link in the caring society in which we live.”