Thresholds and ceilings for RIZIV disability benefits

Alongside you will find the thresholds and ceilings paid out by the statutory social security system (RIZIV, the national health and disability insurance institute) for employees and self-employed persons.

In the case of self-employed persons, this concerns incapacity for work due to illness or accident.

For employees, these benefits apply in the case of private accidents and illness. Incapacity for work caused by a workplace accident falls under the benefits provided for in the "occupational accidents" branch of social security, and must be covered by the employer under the legally mandatory occupational accident insurance, also known as the statutory insurance.

SELF-EMPLOYED

• You are incapacitated for work for less than eight days: You receive no benefit. This is the so-called waiting period.
• You are incapacitated for work for more than seven days: This is primary incapacity for work. You receive a fixed daily amount.
• Anyone incapacitated for work for more than one year receives a disability benefit. Disability refers to a permanent condition in which the medical condition or injuries are stable and will no longer evolve over time.
• The benefits below are per day, gross, based on a 6 day work week arrangement. Note: no tax is withheld at source from your disability benefit from the health insurance fund. The benefit is nevertheless not tax free. You may need to make advance tax payments to avoid a high tax bill afterward.

*note: from the moment you are a dual earner within the household, you are considered a cohabitant.

EMPLOYEES

Employees are legally insured against primary incapacity for work and disability. Primary incapacity for work is understood to mean the temporary inability to generate income from work. Disability refers to a permanent condition in which the medical condition or injuries are stable and will no longer evolve over time.

The incapacitated employee is entitled to a benefit during primary incapacity of 60% of the gross salary per day, subject to a ceiling shown in the table below.

The benefit is based on a 6 day work week arrangement, regardless of the working arrangement that applied before the incapacity for work.

From the 7th month, an incapacitated employee is entitled to a maximum benefit that depends on their family situation.

Incidentally, the primary incapacity for work arrangement does not apply to unemployed persons during the first 6 months of incapacity for work.

Note: amounts not yet adjusted for 2022!

*From the 1st day of the 7th month, and provided that the employee is a regular employee.