Several weeks before the start of each school year, people with children in Belgium receive a 'school bonus' to give families a financial boost. The amount which households receive depends on the region.
Families with children attending schools in the Belgian education system may have received – or in the coming days will find – a sum of money appearing in their bank accounts. This is the school bonus: an allowance which all parents of children who are entitled to child benefits receive once a year in August, on top of the monthly child benefits granted by the Regional Governments.
The Federal Government sees the annual age supplement as a welcome help towards the purchase of school supplies and other back-to-school expenses. However, parents of children who are not yet attending school are also entitled to the supplement.
In all regions, families will automatically receive the extra allowance together with the child benefits for that month, so in most cases, no application is necessary. The amount received does, however, depend on where the child goes to school and their age.
Parents of children born in 2024 will only receive the school bonus if the child was born before 1 July. For those aged over 25, the payment will only be made if their birthday is after 30 June, after which point it expires.
Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
Situation in Brussels
Families with children living in Brussels will likely already have received their lump sum, as Famiris, the region's public child benefit fund, confirmed it paid the school bonus on 1 August this year together with July's child benefit allowance.
"The amount you receive from Famiris in August will be different because in addition to your child benefit, you will also receive the annual education allowance for your child(ren)," a statement from the agency read.
In Brussels, the child's age on 1 July of the year in question determines the amount of the school bonus. The amount given to families is as follows:
- Children aged 0 - 2: €24.38
- Children aged 3 - 5: €24.38
- Children aged 6 - 11: €36.57
- Children aged 12 - 17: €60.95
- Ages 18 - 24
- not in higher education: €60.95
- in higher education: €97.52
Situation in Flanders
Parents of every child who was entitled to the Flemish Growth Package (the name given to child benefits in the region) will receive their school bonus (formerly named school premium) around 8 August. In Flanders too, the money will be transferred together with July's payment of the Growth Package (the equivalent of €176.66 depending on when the child was born).
The annual amount is granted without any conditions or an income limit. Again, it depends on the age of the child (calculated on 31 December of the previous calendar year).
- Children aged 0 - 4: €22.08
- Children aged 5 - 11: €38.64
- Children aged 12 - 17: €55.20
- Ages 18 - 25: €66.24
While receiving the school bonus is not dependent on income, another support system in the region – the school allowance, which is available for children of all ages – is. It is an additional amount intended for families with limited income, meaning families must meet certain conditions to receive it.
Parents whose children go to a Dutch-speaking school but don't live in Flanders are sometimes granted participation allowances. Preschoolers aged three who attend school and preschoolers aged four who continue to attend school and have adequate attendance will receive a preschool allowance of €140.72 two years in a row, paid annually after the child's third and/or fourth birthday.
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Over-18s living outside of Flanders but attending a Flemish university or college receive an education allowance of €54.56 per year. Again, it is not necessary to apply for this additional support.
Situation in Wallonia
In Wallonia, every child born from 2020 onwards receives a fixed basic amount of €188.95 per month in child benefits, with the possibility of supplements depending on the family's income situation. As is the case in Flanders, the school bonus will be added to this amount in August.
Here, the amount depends on when the child was born.
- Born before 1 January 2020 and not entitled to additional support:
- Children aged 0 - 5: €25.88
- Children aged 6 - 11: €55.63
- Children aged 12 - 17: €77.61
- From 18 onwards: €103.49
- Born before 1 January 2020 and entitled to additional support:
- Children aged 0 - 5: €35.71
- Children aged 6 - 11: €75.79
- Children aged 12 - 17: €106.10
- From 18 onwards: €142.83
- Children born after 1 January 2020:
- Children aged 0 - 4: €24,38
- Children aged 5 - 10: €36,57
- Children aged 11 - 16: €60,95
- Children aged 17 and over: €97,52
