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.
KidsLife receives all the necessary information from the Flemish Government. We automatically pay the Study Allowance or Selective Participation Allowance (SEPAR) based on this information. The timing of your Study Allowance payment consequently depends on several factors. Study Allowance payment is typically made as follows:
Example: A person who doesn’t register at an accredited school until the month of October will not be entitled to payment in September. As soon as we have received the information, you will receive a weekly payment from KidsLife.
Please note: No application is necessary! Already receive your Child Benefit or Growth Package from KidsLife? We ensure that every family that’s entitled to the Study Allowance receives this automatically. Handy, right?
We make a distinction between nursery/primary and secondary education. For the latter category, you can retain your Study Allowance entitlement until the year in which the student turns 22. There is no age restriction for BuSO (special-needs secondary education) and HBO5 Nursing.
You must request the Study Allowance or Education Allowance in Higher Education from the Flemish Government.
The School Bonus is a school premium (or education allowance) for all families with children and is automatically paid by KidsLife in August, together with your Child Benefit for the month of July.
The Study Allowance is a supplementary amount for low-income families. KidsLife automatically pays this before the end of the year to all families who are entitled to it.
Pregnant? Congratulations! You can apply for a Starting Amount or Maternity Allowance right at the very onset of your pregnancy. The expectant mother’s details are the sole requirement for submitting an application. If you would like to receive the Maternity Allowance or Starting Amount prior to the birth of your child, then we also require a doctor's certificate specifying the expected delivery date.
This depends on when you submit your application!
Does your application concern the birth of your first child? Then you will receive your Maternity Allowance or Starting Amount via one of our weekly payments as soon after submitting your request as possible.
Does the application concern the birth of your second or subsequent child? You will receive your Maternity Allowance or Starting Amount once we have received the birth notification from the municipality.
We will pay the Maternity Allowance or Starting Amount via one of our weekly payments as soon after submitting your request as possible.
You will receive the Maternity Allowance or Starting Amount 2 months prior to your expected delivery date. We make the payments once per week.
If the application concerns the birth of your first child, then you can submit your request online or send the birth certificate to KidsLife.
What if the application does not concern the birth of your first child and you are already a KidsLife customer? Good news! In this scenario, you needn't submit an application and we will commence payment of your Starting Amount or Maternity Allowance as soon as possible.
A stillborn child may still be entitled to the Maternity Allowance. You can arrange this by reporting the stillborn child to the municipality in the first instance. In fact, this is mandatory if the pregnancy lasted more than 180 days. Once you have submitted the certificate, you need take no further action.
Pregnant? Congratulations! All mothers, fathers or co-parents to-be can request the Maternity Allowance or Starting Amount.
You can apply right at the very onset of your pregnancy. The payment can be made from 2 months prior to your expected delivery date.
