Flemish Government Allocates €30 Million for Disability Budgets

Brussels (Eurotoday): Flemish government allocates €30M for full personal budgets to 1,200 people with disabilities in January 2025, amid ongoing criticism.

This month, the Flemish government improved support for people waiting for personal budgets. They have changed the 1,100 individuals who had partial budgets to full ones. Another 100 people who either rejected the partial budget or applied late will also receive full funding, for a total of 1,200. The government is spending €30 million to help these individuals. This decision responds to earlier complaints about the partial budget system. 

What are the updates on personal budgets in Flanders?

Now, these people can get help from any care provider they want or hire a personal assistant. Since this budget isn’t considered income, they need to send invoices to the VAPH. In Flanders, there are 29,729 people with personal budgets. The 1,200 new eligible individuals will receive a letter this month, and they can also check their e-counter to see that their budget has increased starting January 1.

In 2022, the Flemish government worked to reduce the waiting list for personal budgets by focusing on those with urgent care needs. They also gave partial budgets to 1,100 people in the second priority group, allowing them to get some support while waiting for full funding. This was meant to help families quickly and ease the system’s pressure. However, some people criticized this plan, saying the partial budgets weren’t enough. There were also legal questions about whether it was fair to offer smaller amounts instead of fixing the larger waiting list problem.