Everything you need to know about the Walloon child benefit
Child benefit?
The child benefit is an amount that you, as a parent, receive each month to care for and bring up your child(ren). As of 1 January 2019, each region in Belgium has its own child benefit system, with its own amounts and rules.
What does the child benefit consist of?
- You receive a one-off start amount at the birth of your child.
- You receive a monthly amount per child
- You may be entitled to supplements depending on your situation
Pregnant?
Congratulations! File the application for your birth allowance right now! You can receive your maternity allowance up to two months before the assumed date of birth.
From now on, you decide for yourself which child benefit fund will pay your child benefit.
The child benefit is paid every month on the 8th calendar day at the latest. Take a look here if you want to know the exact payment date of your Growth Package.
Calculate child benefit
The calculation of the child benefit depends on the date of birth of your child and the regional system to which your child belongs (based on your child's place of residence). This means that you will not receive the same amount as child benefit everywhere in Belgium.
Does your child live abroad? Then the location of your employer will determine which region your child falls within. If your children live in different regions, you will receive child benefit from different regional systems.
Children born before 2020
Do you have children born before 1 January 2020 and do they live in Wallonia? In that case, the old child benefit amounts will continue to apply to them, supplemented with a number of new rules for the granting of increased child benefit.
Children born as from 2020
Do you have children born on or after 01 January 2020 and do they live in Wallonia? You will then receive the new amounts for the new Walloon system, which will start on 1 January 2020.
Do you have children born before 1 January 2020 as well as children born after that date? Then your child benefit is made up out of a combination of the old and the new amounts.
Apply for child benefit
Who should apply for child benefit?
Whereas in the past your child benefit application was made through your employer, now you have to apply for your child benefit yourself. The person who effectively raises the child (usually the mother) must make the application. Have you applied for the maternity allowance yet? Then your child benefit will start up automatically. However, have you moved to Wallonia from abroad or from another Belgian region? Don't forget to apply for your Walloon child benefit at Parentia.
Pregnant right now?
Then apply as soon as possible for your maternity allowance or birth premium by submitting an application on-line or via a paper form. If you follow the steps in our practical tool, this will be done in no time!
After that, your child benefit will be paid automatically.
Child benefit supplements
Since the introduction of the new Walloon child benefit legislation, each child born since 1st of Januari 2020, receives a fixed basic amount of 181,61€ per month. For children born up until the 31st of December 2019, nothing changes. For all children, the basic amount of the child benefit can possibly be topped up with supplements. What are those supplements exactly? What are the required conditions and who is entitled to said supplements? And what about procedures and amounts? You will find a brief overview hereunder:
- Social supplement: monthly supplement for low-income families, for people with a loss of earning capacity (illness) or another medical condition.
- Supplement for single-parent families: monthly supplement for single parents.
- Supplement for large families: monthly supplement for families with a minimum of 3 children.
- Increase of child benefit based on age: the age of your child can also determine the amount of child benefit.
- Schooling premium: annual age allowance to cover school costs.
- Child with disorder: financial assistance for children with a disability or condition that requires extra support.
- Orphans supplement: monthly support for children who lose one or both parents.
Does your child attend a Dutch-speaking childcare or a Dutch-speaking school?
- Childcare supplement: Financial aid for parents that leave their child to the care of a Dutch-speaking daycare of which the pay rate isn't determined by the family income.
- Preschooling supplement: annual supplement paid to the parents of children that reach the ages of 3 and 4 and regularly attend a Dutch-speaking preschool.
- Schooling supplement: annual supplement paid to parents whose children attend a Dutch-speaking preschool, primary school or secondary school in Flanders or Brussels.
Does your child attend a French-speaking secondary school or French-speaking higher education establishment in Wallonia or Brussels?
- Study allowance: Does your child attend a French-speaking secondary school or French-speaking higher education establishment in Wallonia or Brussels? In that case, you can apply for a study allowance granted by the "Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles".
Choosing a child benefit fund
You can choose who will pay your maternity allowance and child benefit in Wallonia. If you choose Parentia, you will rest assured. We will help you with your family administration, so you won't overlook anything. This way, we will make sure your child doesn't lack for anything!
Pregnant? Then quickly apply for your maternity benefit through our practical tool.
Would you like to join the Parentia family, but is your child benefit paid by another child benefit fund? Good news: you can transfer to the Parentia child benefit fund with your family. However, you must have been a customer for at least 2 years with your current child benefit fund
Join us now!
Family situation
Your family situation and your child's situation can influence the amount of the child benefit and the person receiving it.
Family
Has your family situation changed as a result of one of the following situations? Then contact Parentia for more information.
- Move
- Family size
- Cohabitation en marriage
- Separation en divorce
- Single or single parent family
- Abroad: what to do when you come to work in Belgium or when you work abroad
Child
Up until the age of 18, your child is entitled to the basic amount of the child benefit, without any conditions and in certain special situations possibly also to certain supplements. Once your child has reached the age of majority, this right is subject to a number of conditions. Does one of these special situations apply to your child? Or maybe you want to know the conditions children between 18 and 25, students, or youngsters in search of a job are subject to? Then take a look at our specific info pages. Didn't find the answer you were looking for? Feel free to ask your question via our contact page.
- Adoption
- Age allowance
- Disability or disorder
- Placement in an institution
- Foster care
- Abducted or missing children
- Study and education
- Working as a young person
- Job seeker after studies
- Young person having his own address
Questions?
Do you have any practical questions about child benefit or the new child benefit? Take a look at our frequently asked questions page. Here you will find answers to questions such as 'When will I receive my child benefit?', 'How do I change my account number?', ...
Are you looking for a specific document or form? Then go to the 'Forms' page.
