The birth grant and family allowances are important aids. They must be requested from a family allowance fund active in the region where you live. In Wallonia, there are several:
- Camille
- Infinity
- KidsLife
- Parentia
- And Famiwal , which offers you this explanatory article. But you are free to register with the family allowance fund of your choice.
This article is about family allowances in Wallonia. If you are domiciled in Brussels, you will find the information here . If you are in Flanders, click here . And if you are in the German-speaking Community, it’s here .
Before the baby arrives…
To help you prepare for the arrival of your baby, the birth bonus (also called “birth allowance”) is paid to all future mothers. It is a single amount (currently €1,238.82 – Amount indexed according to the pivot index) which will help you welcome your baby in the best conditions.
When can you apply for the birth grant?
From the first weeks you are pregnant, you can request it.
How to apply for the birth bonus?
It is you, the future mother, who must make the request and who will receive the amount of this bonus.
1/ Request your birth bonus on the website of the family allowance fund.
2/ From the 24th week, ask your gynecologist or the midwife following you for a medical certificate specifying the expected date of birth. This certificate must be dated no earlier than the 1st day of your sixth month of pregnancy.
3/ Send it to your family allowance fund as soon as possible and then you have nothing more to do. The family allowance fund takes care of everything.
When will you receive the birth bonus?
You will receive the bonus no earlier than two months before your expected due date.
The birth grant will be paid into your bank account or into a joint account to which you have access and which you mentioned in the application form.
Unfortunately a miscarriage?
If you have been pregnant for at least 180 days, you can still benefit from this birth allowance. This will require providing a “declaration of dead child”. You can obtain this document from your municipality.
When the baby was born…
Within 15 days of his birth, you must declare your baby to the civil status service of the municipality where he was born. As soon as it appears in your household composition, your family allowance fund will pay you, each month, the family allowances for your child. The first family allowances are paid about two months after the birth of the child.
Then, family allowances are paid no later than the 8th of each month (for the past month). It is the person raising the child, usually the mother, who receives family allowances.
Am I entitled to family allowances for my child if I already receive them for myself?
Yes, you can receive child benefit both for yourself and for your child even if you are still part of your parents’ household.
As a reminder, you are entitled to family allowances if you are under 25 and are continuing your studies or are registered for a professional integration course.
What if my child was born abroad?
If your child was born abroad, contact your family allowance fund to check whether you can benefit from the birth allowance, depending on the agreements that Belgium has with certain countries. You have up to 5 years after the birth to apply for the birth grant.