This chapter tells you what you need to know in order to receive family benefits in Belgium.

As family benefits fall within the competence of the federated entities, four different schemes coexist in Belgium. They are respectively managed by the Brussels-Capital Region, the French-speaking Walloon Region, the Flemish Community and the German-speaking Community.

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In what situation can I claim?

 Every child domiciled in Belgium is entitled to family benefits.

What conditions do I need to meet?

In all federated entities, family benefits are conditioned on the child’s residence. They are thus not linked to the socio-professional status of the parents.

Children domiciled in one of the federated entities are entitled to family benefits up to the age of 18 (25 if the child follows studies or a vocational training). In the French-speaking Walloon Region, however, the age limit to be entitled to family benefits is 21 years for children born after 1^st January 2001 unless they earn an income.

In the Flemish Community, both parents are, as a rule, beneficiaries but, in some cases, only one of them is designated as recipient. In the other federated entities, the mother is, as a rule, considered as beneficiary.

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What am I entitled to and how can I claim?

Family benefit schemes of the federated entities provide for:

1. a monthly basic allowance
2. social  supplements related to family situation and household income
3. monthly age supplements (restricted to some federated entities)
4. birth or adoption grants
5. supplementary allowances for children with disabilities
6. annual age supplements

1. Monthly basic allowances

* In Flanders, for children born before 1^st January 2019, the child’s ranking is reversed when calculating the benefit amount.

2. Social supplements

* In Flanders, for children born before 1^st January 2019, the child’s ranking is reversed when calculating the benefit amount.

(1) Social supplements are means-tested. Where appropriate, the amount of the social supplement varies according to the annual income of the household.

(2) Social supplements are means-tested. Where appropriate, the amount of the social supplement varies according to the annual income of the household and the age of the child.

(3) Social supplements if the child is entitled to the increased reimbursement from the sickness insurance and if he/she has no entitlement to the supplement for orphans.

Note

The German-speaking Community will maintain the payment of the same total amount as provided by the Act on Child Benefits (Loi générale relative aux allocations familiales, LGAF) and granted for the month of December 2018 beyond 1^st January 2019 if such amount is indeed more favourable than the total amount due under the new decree of 23/04/2018 on family benefits which entered into force in January 2019.

The new amounts shown in the tables are however paid when they become (in the addition) higher than the amount frozen then copied referring to the situation in December 2018. The new amounts also become only payable after the number of beneficiary children grouped around a same recipient has been modified – and this from the 1st month following the event.

The bilingual Brussels-Capital Region will maintain the payment of the same total amount as provided by the Act on Child Benefits (Loi générale relative aux allocations familiales, LGAF) and granted for the month of December 2019 beyond 1^st January 2020 if such amount is indeed more favourable than the total amount due under the Order of 25/04/2019 governing family benefits which entered into force in January 2020.

The new amounts shown in the tables are however paid when they become higher than the amount frozen then copied from December 2019.

3. Monthly age supplements

Age supplements do not exist in the German-speaking Community. The same is true in the Flemish Community for children born on or after 01/01/2019.

Other supplements are provided in particular circumstances for children born before 01/01/2019 in the Flemish Community, as well as in the French-speaking Walloon Region.

4.  Birth or adoption grants

5. Supplementary allowances for children with disabilities

These supplementary allowances are granted to disabled children under the age of 21. Their amount varies according to the degree of disability (number of points on the socio-medical scale):

6. Annual age supplements / School allowance

For the Flemish Community: this is a school allowance (schoolbonus)

For the French-speaking Walloon Region:

For the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region:

For the German-speaking Community:

The annual allowance is uniformly fixed at €54.43 for all children. The age of the child has no impact of the amount of this allowance.

Some federated entities provide for still other supplements in some specific circumstances.

Forms you may need to fill in

 All the forms for family benefits can be downloaded from the following websites:

Flemish Community:

https://gpedia.groeipakket.be/nl/formulieren/internationale-formulieren/eu-verordeningen-esed-formulieren

https://gpedia.groeipakket.be/nl/formulieren/internationale-formulieren/eu-verordeningen-e

French-speaking Walloon Region: https://aviqkid.aviq.be/Pages/contact.aspx 

Bilingual Brussels-Capital Region: www.iriscare.brussels

German-speaking Community: http://www.ostbelgienfamilie.be/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-5904/

Know your rights

The links below allow you to find out more about your rights. These sites are not dependent upon the European Commission and so do not represent the viewpoints of the latter:

Your child lives in Flanders? You will find more information on https://www.groeipakket.be/

Your child lives in Brussels? You will find more information on http://www.iriscare.brussels/fr/citoyens/familles-avec-enfants/informations-generales-pour-vos-allocations-familiales/.

Your child lives in Wallonia? You will find more information on https://www.aviq.be/ and https://aviqkid.aviq.be/Pages/AccueilAR.aspx .

Your child lives in the German-speaking Community? You will find more information on http://www.ostbelgienfamilie.be/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-5886/10077_read-54689/

For more information about the interregional body for family benefits (ORINT): https://www.orint.be

If you are uncertain about which entity is responsible for managing your family allowance file, you can find more information on the website of the Belgian liaison body: https://www.familybenefitsbelgium.be/en/home

Commission publication and websites:

• Family benefits: your rights abroad as a European citizen.  

Whom do I contact?

Flemish Community:

Flemish Groeipakket: political aspects:

Agence Opgroeien:

Hallepoortlaan 27, 1060 Brussel

internationaal@opgroeien.be

Flemish Groeipakket: operational aspects:

Vlaams agentschap voor de uitbetaling van toelagen in het kader van het Gezinsbeleid (VUTG):

Trierstraat 9, 1000 Brussel

info@groeipakket.be

French-speaking Walloon Region: AViQ - Rue de la Rivelaine 21 - 6061 Charleroi - 0800 16061 - mediationfamilles@aviq.be

Bilingual Brussels-Capital Region: Iriscare - Rue Belliard 71 bte 2 - 1040 Bruxelles - +32 (0)2 435 64 33 - mediation@iriscare.brussels

German-speaking Community: Ministerium der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft Belgiens - Fachbereich Familie und Soziales - Kaperberg 6 - 4700 Eupen - +32 (0)87 789 920 - familienleistungen@dgov.be

In the event of any problems with your rights as a European citizen: EU helpdesks.