Help in English
Getting help in Belgium, in your language
Money, housing, health, papers, food, a parent who needs care. Here is what exists, who to contact first, and what to say at the desk. Services usually answer in French or Dutch (both in Brussels): this page helps you prepare.
- votreaide is free, with no account. We never ask about your health, your income or your papers.
- votreaide is not a public service: we tell you where to go, and the service decides what is possible.
- You can come with someone you trust to translate. Some services have interpreters: ask.
Helplines
In immediate danger, call 112. These lines are free.
- 112Emergency: ambulance and fire brigade, everywhere in Europe
- 101Police
- 107Télé-Accueil: someone to talk to, free and anonymous, day and night (in French)
- 106Tele-Onthaal: the same line in Dutch
- 0800 32 123Suicide prevention line
- 0800 30 030Domestic violence: free and anonymous
- 1712Violence and abuse, in Flanders (in Dutch)
- 103Écoute-Enfants: for children and teenagers
- 116 000Child Focus: missing or sexually exploited child, 24 hours a day
- 0800 99 340Samusocial: sleeping on the street in Brussels
Where to start
You don't always know which door to knock on. The CPAS of your municipality can guide you, whatever the problem.
I can't pay anymore
- The CPAS of your municipality
- A debt mediation service
- To eat: a social grocery or a social restaurant
I have a housing problem
- The housing service of your municipality
- The CPAS, if you risk losing your home
- On the street in Brussels: Samusocial, 0800 99 340
I'm not well
- A maison médicale (local health centre) or a doctor
- A mental health service
- To talk right now: 107
Someone close to me needs help
- A home care service
- A titres-services company for cleaning and shopping
- A care home or a place for older people
I lost my job
- Actiris in Brussels, Forem in Wallonia, VDAB in Flanders
- Your CPAS, if you have no income left
I have a problem with papers or my rights
- A service for migrants
- A lawyer's first advice is free for everyone
- Digital help, to fill in an online form
I'm a parent and I need support
- A family planning centre
- ONE (Brussels and Wallonia) or Kind en Gezin (Flanders), for young children
- A maison de quartier (neighbourhood centre)
Sentences to show at the desk
Show your phone: each sentence is written in French and in Dutch, the languages spoken at the desk.
Hello, I would like to ask for help.
- In French
- Bonjour, je voudrais demander de l'aide.
- In Dutch
- Goedendag, ik wil graag hulp vragen.
I don't speak French well. Is there an interpreter?
- In French
- Je ne parle pas bien français. Est-ce qu'il y a un interprète ?
- In Dutch
- Ik spreek niet goed Nederlands. Is er een tolk?
I would like an appointment with a social worker.
- In French
- Je voudrais un rendez-vous avec un assistant social.
- In Dutch
- Ik wil graag een afspraak met een maatschappelijk werker.
I can't pay my bills anymore.
- In French
- Je n'arrive plus à payer mes factures.
- In Dutch
- Ik kan mijn rekeningen niet meer betalen.
I am looking for a doctor.
- In French
- Je cherche un médecin.
- In Dutch
- Ik zoek een dokter.
Is it free?
- In French
- Est-ce que c'est gratuit ?
- In Dutch
- Is het gratis?
Which documents should I bring?
- In French
- Quels documents dois-je apporter ?
- In Dutch
- Welke documenten moet ik meebrengen?
Can you write it down, please?
- In French
- Pouvez-vous l'écrire, s'il vous plaît ?
- In Dutch
- Kunt u het opschrijven, alstublieft?
Understand before you ask
The essentials, with the same sources and dates as our French guides. Rules change: always check with the service.
The CPAS (OCMW in Dutch)
Every municipality has a CPAS, to help people who no longer have enough to live with dignity: food, clothing, housing, care.
- Who can ask: a person without sufficient resources, who cannot get other social benefits, and who lives in the municipality
- A social worker looks at your situation, then a committee decides
- If you disagree with the decision, you can challenge it before the labour court
- Help varies from one CPAS to another: only yours can tell you what is possible
Free legal aid
A lawyer's first advice is free for everyone, with no income condition. A lawyer to defend you can also be free, depending on your income.
- Single person: free under €1,670 net per month, partly free from €1,670 to €1,988
- Person living with others: free under €1,988, partly free from €1,988 to €2,305
- Ask at the legal aid office (bureau d'aide juridique) of your district
- Thresholds in force on 1 September 2026, published by avocats.be
Titres-services: home cleaning in Brussels
Titres-services (service vouchers) pay for one hour of cleaning, ironing or shopping, through a company approved by the Region.
- In 2026 in Brussels: €11.40 for the first 300 vouchers, then €14 for the next 200
- Valid for 6 months; the company may charge extra fees: ask first
- Register on the official site, choose an approved company, buy your vouchers from Pluxee
- Source: Test-Achats, 5 May 2026. Prices and rules differ in Wallonia and Flanders
Food aid
Food parcels, social groceries (where you pay less) and social restaurants exist. Conditions vary from one place to another.
- Call before you go, to know the opening days and the conditions
- Ask if you need a certificate, and who can give it
- If you don't know where to go: the CPAS of your municipality
Help at home
For an older parent, a sick relative or your family, several doors exist.
- Say clearly what you need: cleaning, washing, meals, someone present
- For cleaning and shopping: a titres-services company
- For help with the person: a home care service in your municipality
- If the budget is a problem, talk to the CPAS
All the help, by topic
Each page lists the services across Belgium, with their address and phone number (pages in French).
- CPAS and social services
- Home cleaning (titres-services)
- Home care
- Older people and care homes
- Health and local health centres
- Mental health and listening
- Family and children
- Housing
- Homeless and social emergency
- Food aid
- Debts and energy bills
- Legal aid and rights
- Migrants and refugees
- Jobs and training
- Disability
- Young people
- Digital help and paperwork
- Neighbourhood centres
Find a service near you
The list of services (address, phone, opening hours) is in French and in Dutch. Names of services and streets are not translated: show them as they are.
Questions
Will the service speak my language?
Not always. Ask for an interpreter, or come with someone you trust. You can also show the sentences on this page.
Do I need papers to ask for help?
Not always. A lawyer's first advice is free for everyone, and the CPAS can grant urgent medical aid to people without a residence permit. Each service will tell you what is possible.
Is votreaide free?
Yes. No account, no fee. votreaide is a private directory: it does not decide on any help, only the services can answer you.
Sources: be.brussels (CPAS), avocats.be (thresholds on 1 September 2026), Test-Achats (titres-services, 5 May 2026), the websites of each helpline (checked on 2 November 2026). Translation by votreaide: if in doubt, the French version prevails.