Do I have to pay for my mother's or father's care home fees?
In short
It depends. Children have a duty to support parents in need. If the parent does not have enough money, the OCMW / CPAS pays the difference and may ask you to pay back part of it, depending on your income.
Video transcript
Your mother's income isn't enough for the care home. You've received a letter from the OCMW / CPAS. It depends: Children must support parents in need. The OCMW / CPAS pays the difference and may ask you for part of it, based on your income. The right way: Open the letter and declare your income. If contact was broken or the financial burden is heavy, ask for an exemption. Consequences: Penalty: None; From low incomes: Nothing claimed back; OCMW / CPAS: Can claim through court.
What is not allowed, what is required?
- Under the Civil Code, children have a duty to support their parents if they are in need (art. 205; onderhoudsplicht / obligation alimentaire).
- If the parent's income does not cover the care home (woonzorgcentrum / maison de repos), the OCMW / CPAS of the municipality where they were last registered pays the difference.
- The OCMW / CPAS can claim this money back from the children, in part or in full. The amount depends on your income; nothing is claimed from people on a low income.
- Not every municipality does this. You can ask to be exempted on grounds of fairness, such as a broken relationship, poor health or heavy financial commitments.
- Maintenance you pay regularly can, under certain conditions, be deducted from your taxable income: 60% of what you pay in 2026, and 50% from 2027. Since 2026, money paid to a parent living outside the EEA or Switzerland (for example, in your home country outside the EU) can no longer be deducted.
Penalty and indirect consequences
- Fine / payment
- No penalty. But the OCMW / CPAS can take legal action to recover the amount it is claiming.
Legal basis:KB 9.5.1984, art. 1 + OCMW-wet 8.7.1976, art. 98 §2
What really matters: the indirect consequences
- The parent pays income tax on the same percentage of the maintenance that you deducted
Legal basis:Kamer DOC 56 0963/001 + WIB 92, art. 99
- Sharing the costs can cause disagreements between siblings; you can get free initial legal advice
Why does this rule exist?
Family solidarity does not replace the state, but it complements it. In Belgium, this burden is limited according to income and fairness.
Where can you go?
- Violence helplineFlanders 1712 (weekdays 09–18) · Wallonia and Brussels 0800 30 030 (partner violence), 103 (child abuse) · Emergency 112
- Child and family servicesFlanders: Kind en Gezin / Opgroeien · Wallonia and Brussels: ONE
- School guidance centreThe school's CLB / centre PMS
- Social interpreterAt the municipality, the OCMW/CPAS, school and hospital, you can ask for an interpreter in your language; it is often free.
This site does not handle individual cases; it points you to the right service. All help addresses
Source and reliability
Official source- Source check
- 11 / 11 statements in an official source
- Checked: 12.10.2026
- Last checked
- 12.10.2026
- Rules can change
Show the 11 checked statementsopen
- Found in an official source
Çocukların ebeveyne bakım yükümlülüğü BW md. 205
Vlaamse overheid (SVR), De onderhoudsplicht van kinderen ten overstaan van hun ouders bij opname in een woonzorgcentrum, 2011/7 - Found in an official source
Önceki kayıtlı belediyenin OCMW'si farkı öder
Vlaamse overheid (SVR), 2011/7 - Found in an official source
OCMW kısmen/tamamen çocuklardan geri isteyebilir; düşük gelirliden istenmez
Vlaamse overheid (SVR), 2011/7 (eşik tutarı eski, kartta yok) - Found in an official source
OCMW genel olarak vazgeçebilir; hakkaniyet nedenleri (kötü ilişki, kopukluk, sağlık, emeklilik)
Vlaamse overheid (SVR), 2011/7 - Corrected according to the source
Birçok belediye uygulamıyor (2023'te yalnız 28 belediye uygulamıyor, VRT)
Kamer DOC 54 2401/001 (31.03.2017), toelichting – OCMW-wet art. 98 §2 en 100bis §2; Verslag aan de Koning bij KB 9.5.1984 - Found in an official source
Vergi indirimi 2026: %60, 2027: %50 (taslaktaki %80 artık geçerli değil)
Wet 18.12.2025 houdende diverse bepalingen, art. 34-37 (Kamer DOC 56 0963/030, tekst aangenomen door de commissies) – WIB 92 art. 99 en 104 - Found in an official source
EER/Zwitserland dışı alıcıya ödeme düşülemez
Wet 18.12.2025, art. 35 a) en 37 (Kamer DOC 56 0963/030) – WIB 92 art. 104, 1° - Found in an official source
Huzurevindeki ebeveyne ödenen bakım parası indirime girebilir
Kamer DOC 56 0963/001 (memorie van toelichting, art. 32-35) – WIB 92 art. 104, 1°; oud BW art. 205 - Found in an official source
Alıcı ebeveyn aynı oranda vergilenir
Kamer DOC 56 0963/001 + WIB 92, art. 99 - Found in an official source
OCMW, art. 98 §2 uyarınca masrafı bakım yükümlülerinden geri isteyebilir (verhaal)
KB 9.5.1984, art. 1 + OCMW-wet 8.7.1976, art. 98 §2 - Found in an official source
Bakım yükümlülüğü medeni hukuktan doğar; ceza hükmü yok
oud BW art. 205
The checked statements are in Turkish, as in the source text. This check does not replace legal advice.
General information, not legal advice. For your own situation, ask a lawyer or free legal aid. How was this information prepared?