Frequently Asked Questions

In order to pay your Maternity Allowance or Starting Amount, we require a certificate from your doctor specifying the baby’s expected delivery date.

However, you can still apply, even if you don’t yet have a doctor’s certificate in your possession. We’ll send you a reminder when it’s time to provide us with this certificate. Naturally, we also require a number of personal details from the mum-to-be. Your Maternity Allowance or Starting Amount will be paid 2 months prior to your expected delivery date at the earliest.

Submit your application Starting Amount here              
Request Starting Amount

 

The Ukrainian children are entitled to the Growth Package from the month in which their certificate of temporary protection is received. In practice, the earliest is from March 2022. In Brussels and Wallonia, the payments start from the month following the right of residence . Therefore, the payment will be made from April at the earliest. 

Note: the Growth Package or the Child Benefit for a given month is always paid at the beginning of the following month. We pay the child benefit for March at the beginning of April.  

Example for Flanders.
A Ukrainian family starts to live with a Flemish host family on 28 February 2022. They receive their certificates of temporary residence on 10 March 2022, with which they register in the municipality giving their address as that of the host family. Kidslife receives the application for the Growth Package during the course of April. The file will be opened in May 2022 and we may start to make payments retroactively from March 2022. 

Brussels and Walloon examples
A Ukrainian family starts to live with a Brussels or Walloon host family on 28 February 2022. They receive their certificates of temporary residence on 10 March 2022, with which they register in the municipality giving their address as that of the host family. Kidslife receives the application for the Growth Package during the course of April. The file will be opened in May 2022 and we can start payments retroactively from March 2022. 

View all information for host families here

No, you do not need to notify us. We automatically receive all changes in your family situation via the national register, once the Ukrainian family has been registered as living at your address. 

The Ukrainian family still has to apply in order to receive the Child Benefit or Growth Package.  

See all conditions for entitlement to child benefit as Ukrainian family here

If the parents or guardians of the children are present in the Ukrainian family, they receive the Growth Package or Child Benefit for their children. 

If you are taking care of a Ukrainian child, who has no parents or Ukrainian guardians, in your family, you may then apply for the child benefit for that child yourself. 

Example: 15-year-old Andrej comes to live in your family on 8 March 2022. You must apply to KidsLife to be able to receive the child benefit for Andrej. 

Check here all about Child benefit for Ukrainian families

A circular cheque is a written payment order that is valid for 3 months. You receive it by post and can then deposit it into your bank account.

Prefer to have your Child Benefit paid directly into your bank account?

You can arrange this via My KidsLife, your online Child Benefit file. You can also supply us with your bank account number in writing! The document for submitting a new bank account number in writing is available here. 

Pregnant? A baby on the way? 

Congratulations! Don’t forget to request your Maternity Allowance or Starting Amount. You’ll automatically receive the Growth Package (if you live in Flanders) or Child Benefit (if you live in Brussels or Wallonia) following the birth of your baby.

• You live in Flanders: you’re entitled to the Growth Package from the month of your baby’s birth. 

Example: Georges was born on 13 March 2021. You’re therefore entitled to the Growth Package from March 2021 and the first payment will be made on 8 April 2021. 

• You live in Brussels or Wallonia: you’re entitled to Child Benefit from the month following the birth.

Example: Jules was born on 24 March 2021. You’re therefore entitled to Child Benefit from April 2021 and the first payment will be made on 8 May 2021. 

Want to know how much you’ll receive each month from KidsLife? Calculate your payment amounts here. 

New to Belgium and not yet receiving your Child Benefit or Growth Package?

Your KidsLife adviser will set to work as soon as you submit your application. We’ll use the information in your application to investigate the maximum amount of Child Benefit or Growth Package to which you’re entitled (with retroactive effect where applicable).
In order to conduct this investigation, we require a number of specific (and sometimes complex) documents and often have to contact foreign institutions. We do everything we can to ensure that your family doesn’t miss out on any benefits. This investigation can therefore take some time.

Apply for your Growth Package or Child Benefit here*

*already applied for the Starting Amount or Maternity Allowance? Then you needn’t submit a Growth Package or Child Benefit application. You’ll automatically receive this following the birth of your baby. 

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. 
 

There’s no difference between an online and a paper-based application. In both cases, your KidsLife adviser will set to work on processing your application as swiftly as possible. 
Paper-based applications that are sent by post will of course have slower processing times than online applications due to the additional postal time involved. 

An online application is not only quick and hassle-free; it’s also environmentally friendly. And you save on stamps, making it easier on your wallet. 

Check which application you can submit here

 

Already receiving your Child Benefit or Growth Package payments from KidsLife? Or have only just applied? 
Our KidsLife advisers are at your service. You can reach them via

1. Contact form: this instantly provides us with all your personal information and enables us to respond swiftly to your enquiry.
    
2. By phone: our KidsLife advisers are happy to help you over the phone. Please have your National Register number to hand, to enable us to provide prompt assistance.
    
3. My KidsLife: your online Child Benefit and Growth Package file is available 24/7. Want to report a change in your circumstances or download a certificate? You can do all this and more in your My KidsLife online file.  
    
4. Your local KidsLife office: regardless where you live, you’ll always find a KidsLife office nearby. Locate an office near you here. In many cases, we can help you without necessitating a visit to our offices. 

And you can obviously refer to the answers in this extensive list of frequently asked questions from our customers. 

Contact your KidsLife adviser

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.