When will you start receiving your child benefit following the birth of your child?
If you have already applied for your Maternity Allowance or Starting Amount, then you will automatically receive your Child Benefit or Growth Package following the birth of your child.
So you need no longer submit an application when your baby is born! Registering the birth of your child with the municipality where you live is sufficient.
The exact timing of your Child Benefit or Growth Package payments depends on where you live. It’s important to note that your Child Benefit and Growth Package will be paid in the following month, just like your salary or benefits:
For example: you will receive your Child Benefit or Growth Package payments for the month of May around 8 June.
Growth package in Flanders
You will receive your Growth Package from the month of birth onwards.
For example: if your child was born on 2 March, you will receive your Growth Package from the month of March. The payment for the month of March occurs on 8 April.
Child benefit in Brussels and Wallonia
You will receive your Child Benefit in the month following the birth:
For example: if your child was born on 2 March, you will receive your Child Benefit from the month of April. The payment for the month of April occurs on 8 May.
Haven’t yet applied for your Maternity Allowance or Starting Amount?
Request this quickly and easily online at KidsLife!
See our frequently asked questions
Child Benefit is always paid on the 8th of each month. If the 8th falls on a weekend, then we will pay it on the last working day prior to that weekend. Please check our payment calendar for the various payment dates.
The maximum age for Child Benefit and Growth Package entitlement is 25 years. From the age of 18 upwards, you must satisfy certain criteria in order to retain your Child Benefit and Growth Package entitlement. No regular or automatic substitute applies once your entitlement to Child Benefit has ceased. If your child was entitled to a Care Allowance due to a specific support requirement, then they may be entitled to a Disability Allowance once their Child Benefit entitlement has ceased. Please note that this is not an automatic entitlement. It must be requested and the application subsequently investigated.
Grandparents can receive Child Benefit for their grandchildren if they are registered at their address. This is on the condition that the parents are not registered at this same address.
The maximum Growth Package and Child Benefit entitlement is up to and including the month of your 25th birthday. The final payment will therefore take place at the beginning of the month following your 25th birthday. Please note that from the age of 18 upwards you must satisfy a number of criteria in order to retain your Child Benefit entitlement.
Moving house is a major event. KidsLife makes things easy. Simply change your address via your municipality’s registration service and we'll take care of the rest.
Moving abroad? Please let us know.
