Frequently Asked Questions

Who gets the benefit depends on your family situation. We pay the benefits to the person or institution raising the child:

In most cases this will be the mother, but there are exceptions. We rely on the official population register for this. However, the real situation does not always correspond to what that register indicates. Contact us immediately if the payment is not made to the correct claimant.
If the parents are divorced, the rules are somewhat different. The person who receives the benefits is designated by the legislation relating to your situation. You can also contact us if you want to dispute the decision about the payments.
If there is no person or institution taking on the task of raising the child, we pay the allowance directly to the child. This is the case in the following situations:
The child is married.
The child has been emancipated.
The child is 16 years of age or older, lives in independent accommodation and has no caregiver living with him/her.
The child receives benefits for his/her own children.

You are entitled to this unconditional right until your child turns 18. From September of the year in which your child reaches this age, certain conditions must be met to continue receiving it. You can keep benefitting from this until your child is 25, if he/she is taking sufficient hours of lessons, enrolling for enough study credits or is registered as a job seeker after leaving school.

Of course, it is important to report any change in income to your family allowance fund. If your income comes solely from Belgium, Brussels Family can verify if you are eligible to receive social supplements based on your tax return, every two years. However, it is always recommended to inform us directly in case of an income change.

If you forget to report a decrease in income, Brussels Family can still grant you the supplement retroactively, based on your tax return if you meet the required conditions.

On the other hand, if your income has increased and you do not report it, this could potentially pose a problem. Brussels Family might continue to pay a supplement to which you are no longer entitled without your knowledge, as the tax return often arrives with some delay. When this is detected, the undue social supplements will have to be repaid.

To find out which incomes are taken into account for social supplements, feel free to consult our dedicated page on this subject. In any case, remember that Brussels Family is here to help and support you throughout your journey.

For any questions on this matter, the easiest way is to give us a call at ☎ 02/227.19.60 between 9 AM and 5 PM (until 4 PM on Fridays), or send us an email at info@brusselsfamily.be.

We are happy to help you understand how to modify your household composition. We know that changes in family life can be complicated, but we will explain everything you need to know.

New birth: You simply need to register your child with the civil registry office of your municipality. This will automatically update your household composition and Brussels Family will be informed of this change.

Divorce: Anyone who has left the household (your ex-spouse or yourself) must register their new address with the civil registry office of their municipality. From that moment on, they will no longer be considered part of your household composition and your file will be updated by Brussels Family.

If an additional person comes to live with you, the local police officer will need to verify their presence before your household composition can be updated. Brussels Family will then automatically be informed of this change.

Finally, if a person leaves your household, you simply need to inform the civil registry office again. If this person provides their new address to the civil registry office, no further formalities are required and your household composition will be automatically updated.

If you have any questions about how to modify your household composition, feel free to contact the civil registry office of your municipality. And if you want to know more about social supplements in the context of family allowances, you can find all the information you need on our website.

We understand that the arrival of a baby can be overwhelming, especially when dealing with administrative formalities. That’s why we have simplified the process so you can receive your birth allowance without stress or worry.

Want to know when you will receive your birth allowance? Well, the good news is that you can receive your birth allowance as early as two months before the expected delivery date. This means you can have peace of mind knowing everything is in order even before your little one arrives.

We are here to help you every step of the way. If you have any questions about the details of the birth allowance payment, feel free to contact us. We will be happy to assist and guide you throughout this process.

At Brussels Family, you can count on personalized and friendly service, whether you prefer to contact us by email (info@brusselsfamily.be), by phone (☎ 02/227.19.60), or in person at one of our offices. We are here to help you every step of your parenting journey.

The easiest way to apply for the birth allowance is to do it online. To do this, you need to provide us with several personal details (your contact information, your social security number, etc.).

An official document indicating the expected delivery date will be provided to you by your gynecologist, midwife, or attending physician if you have been pregnant for at least six months. After that, we take care of everything for you, especially ensuring the prompt payment of your birth allowance.

You can also send this information by email to info@brusselsfamily.be or by mail (Rue Vésale 31, 1000 Brussels).

You can submit your application for the adoption allowance once the adoption request has been filed with the court and the child is living with the adoptive parent. If you meet these conditions, follow these steps:

1. Send us a copy of the adoption request that you filed with the court. For adopted children from abroad, also send us a copy of the adoption certificate from the respective country.
2. Generally, we automatically verify your eligibility for an adoption allowance. However, submitting an application can speed up this process. Feel free to call us or send us an email regarding this matter.

Your eligibility for monthly family allowances is automatically assessed at the same time as your eligibility for the adoption allowance. Therefore, you do not need to send a separate application.

As soon as we receive your application, we ensure efficient and quick processing. If everything is filled out correctly, you will receive the birth allowance in your account, at the latest 2 months before the due date. We conduct 5 payment rounds per month to ensure you receive your birth allowance as soon as possible.