Notification period
Are you becoming incapacitated for work? Report it to your health insurance fund. It is important that you submit a declaration within the statutory 'notification period'. That way, you will receive the full illness benefit.
What is the notification period?
The notification period is shown in calendar days, weekends included, from the start date of incapacity for work. Is the last day of the deadline a Saturday, Sunday or a public holiday? Then the deadline is extended to the next working day, at the latest. If you are late with your declaration, you will receive a financial penalty.
The time limit for declaring incapacity for work depends on your status:
- Interim, probation period, relapse, renewal of a medical certificate or other*: 8 days (= day of illness + 7 days)
- Employee: 28 days (= day of illness + 27 days)
- Labourer: 14 days (= day of illness + 13 days)
*On the day you become incapacitated for work, you are not, or no longer, bound by an employment contract, nor are you unemployed (e.g. during a notice period).
When you are employed, you are usually entitled to a guaranteed salary, paid by your employer. Check with your employer whether this is also the case for you. Report your incapacity for work within the declaration period and in any case before your period of guaranteed salary expires. Don't delay the declaration. A late declaration will affect the amount of your benefit.
As an unemployed person, you have eight calendar days (= day of illness + 7 days) to declare your incapacity for work. Do not delay the declaration.This way, you will avoid a financial penalty.
- Those 8 days are calendar days, weekends included, from the start date of your incapacity for work.
- If the last day of the term is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, the term is extended by the next working day.
You cannot receive benefits for a short period of illness of up to seven days. Are you incapacitated for work for more than seven days? Then report your incapacity for work within eight calendar days of the start of your incapacity for work. Do not delay reporting. A late declaration will affect the amount of your benefit.
Make sure your doctor has prepared the certificate within 14 calendar days of the start of your incapacity for work. Is it already later than 14 days? Then your benefit will only start from the 14th day prior to the date your doctor signed the certificate. The period before that cannot be paid.
Example:
You fell ill on July 1 and did not see your doctor until July 18. Then you are entitled to benefits from 4 July and will lose benefits for the previous days: 1, 2, and 3 July.
What happens if I submit my declaration too late?
You will receive a financial penalty if you are late with your declaration. The day amount of your benefit may be reduced by10% during the period of lateness. The penalty applies until the first working day following the day you send the medical certificate.
In some cases the NIHDI may overturn the sanction. This happens when:
- The amount involved is at least €25.
- You were unable to declare the incapacity for work on time due to force majeure.
- Your gross annual family income is less than a limit amount, plus a certain amount per dependent person.
Please note! Under no circumstances will the penalty be waived a second time in the following three years.
You are a labourer and incapacitated for work since 1 June. This means that you must send the certificate of incapacity for work on June 14 at the latest, i.e. within a period of 14 calendar days. If you send it on June 17, it will result in you being paid only 90% of your benefits for the period from 15 to 17 June.
You are&nbps;incapacitated for work since 1 June. This means that you must send the certificate of incapacity for work on June 8 at the latest, i.e. within a period of 8 calendar days. If you send it on June 17, it will result in you being paid only 90% of your benefits for the period from 1 to 17 June.
Notifying your incapacity to work
Download the incapacity-for-work certificate. Have it completed by your treating physician and provide it to us digitally and in a timely manner.
Don't have a certificate of incapacity for work available?
Please ask your doctor to prepare your medical certificate (also referred to as a 'confidentiality form') with all the required details:
- your details
- the identification of the treating physician (physician recognised by the NIHDI)
- date and signature of the treating physician
- start and end date of incapacity for work
- diagnosis: reason and nature of incapacity for work
Employed and unemployed:
Fill in your information sheet via My Helan. Do this right away, so we can process your file more quickly.
Self-employed:
The health insurance fund will ask you to complete some documents:
- An information sheet with questions about your income. Please submit this digitally.
- A questionnaire regarding your professional activity. Please submit this digitally.
- A 'form 225' with questions regarding your family circumstances. Complete this digitally via My Helan.
- Or send all documents by post to Helan Ziekenfonds, Incapacity for Work Department (Dienst arbeidsongeschiktheid), Boomsesteenweg 5, 2610 Wilrijk.
The health insurance fund's medical officer must first recognise your incapacity for work.
- Your incapacity for work is recognised.
- Your incapacity for work is not recognised. If you do not agree with the decision, you can appeal to the employment tribunal.
Once your incapacity for work has been recognised, we will confirm this with a letter. After your benefit file has been reviewed, you will receive another letter notifying you of your daily amount.
Later, if necessary, the medical officer may invite you for a medical assessment.
About 45 days after we received your correctly completed certificate, you will receive your first benefit payment. This is conditional on us receiving all the necessary documents correctly completed within 30 days.
What to do in the event of an extension or relapse?
Is your incapacity going beyond what is stated on your certificate? Or have you gone back to work and become incapacitated again? Also in the event of an extension or relapse you must report your incapacity for work in good time.
Read more about the ‘start of your incapacity for work'
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Helan Independent Health Insurance Fund is the insurance agent (n° CDZ 5006c) for ‘MLOZ Insurance’, the VMOB of Independent Health Insurance Funds, (Register of Legal Entities in Brussels, 422.189.629, recognised under no. CDZ 750/01 for branches 2 and 18). View the data sheet and the General Terms and Conditions. Belgian law applies to the insurance contract. The term of the contract is whole life. In the event of any complaint, contact the complaints department of Helan Health Insurance Fund or the insurance ombudsman. For more information about purchasing this/these product(s), please contact Helan Health Insurance Fund. Helan Onafhankelijk ziekenfonds, Boomsesteenweg 5, 2610 Wilrijk, 0411.696.011, RPR Antwerpen, www.helan.be.