Belgian Child Benefits for French people
Do you have the French nationality and do you work or live in Belgium? Then you are probably entitled to Belgian child benefit. In Flanders, this is called "Growth Package". Below you will find all the information about the "Belgian CAF". In Belgium, we call this a 'child benefit fund'.
What is the Belgian Child Benefit?
In Belgium, there are several Child Benefit Funds. And since 2019, the 3 different regions in Belgium (Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia) all have their own Child Benefit legislation. And thus their own conditions and amounts.
Depending on what region you work or live in, you can choose your own Child Benefit Funds. KidsLife is a safe choice: we're active in all three regions!
As a French citizen, you are entitled to Child Benefit in Belgium if you work or reside there (just like any EU-citizen).
How do I know which region is responsible for my Child Benefit?
- If you live in Belgium, it is the region where you are officially registered, according to the Belgian national registry.
- If you do not reside in Belgium but work there, it is the region where you work. For this, we rely on official data in the Crossroads Bank: the national database relating to social security. Your employer uploads the data there and the child benefit funds can consult it.
- If you live in France and work as a self-employed individual in Belgium, the address of the registered office of your social insurance fund determines the competent region. You do not have to send us any documents to prove your professional activities in Belgium. We can also consult self-employed activities in the Crossroads Bank.
What am I entitled to?
The amount you receive depends on several criteria. Your entitlement to family allowances is assessed according to European social security regulations and the regulations of your Belgian region.
Regardless of your situation, the experts at KidsLife will make sure you get the highest possible amount you are entitled to. That way, you don't have to miss out on anything.
and you are in one of the following situations:
- I live in Belgium with my children, but both me and the other parent work in France. Then France pays your monthly child benefit. In Belgium, you may be entitled to the additional Child Benefit. In practice, you will then receive the difference between the amounts paid by the French fund and the amounts that can be paid in the Belgian region. For this, we request a statement of payments to the French CAF every 6 months (by means of the document "E411").
- I work in Belgium as does my partner/the other parent. Then Belgium will pay your monthly Child Benefit. And you may be entitled to an additional payment in France. Receiving (unemployment) benefits is considered equal to 'working'.
- I live in Belgium and I'm pregnant. Then you are also entitled to a Maternity Allowance if the child is domiciled in Belgium at birth. KidsLife will inform you about your entitlement to the birth grant.
and you are in one of the following situations:
- My children reside in France and I work in Belgium (or the other parent or my partner works in Belgium), France will pay your monthly allowances if you or the other parent/your partner have professional activities in France. Belgium provides a additional payment if the amounts payable in Belgium (in the relevant region) exceed the amounts paid in France.
- Neither me nor the other parent/my partner) has any professional activities in France. Then Belgium will pay your monthly Child Benefit based on professional activities in Belgium. France may be able to make an additional payment.
- I'm pregnant. In that case, you need to apply for the Maternity Allowance in France. According to an agreement between France and Belgium, only the country of residence can pay the Maternity Allowance. You are not entitled to the Maternity Allowance in Belgium. Even if you do not receive it in France.
What are the main differences between Belgian and French Child Benefit??
| Belgique | France | |
| Vocabulary | Different Child Benefit Funds. In Flanders, we use the term 'Growth Package' instead of Child Benefit. | One CAF |
| Choice | Multiple funds in different regions. You can decide yourself which one you choose. | A single public CAF, with different offices depending on your department or region. |
| Amounts | The basic amounts of Child Benefits are not income-dependent. The "social supplement"* is paid on top of the basic amounts if you meet income conditions. | Your income influences the amount of your Child Benefit. |
| Rights | You have a right to Child Benefit from the first child. | An only child over 6 years old no longer has the right to child Benefit, except for the back-to-school allowance (ARS) under certain conditions. |
| Duration | A child can be entitled to family allowances until the age of 25, under certain conditions. | The right to family allowances ends in the month before the child's 20th birthday (21 years in some cases). |
| Organization | Child Benefit funds only pay allowances for children. | The CAF handles all kinds of allowance payments, not just for children. The CAF, for example, pays the RSA (Social Assistance) or APL (Personal Rent Allowance). |
*We will ask you for the necessary documents to verify that you meet the conditions.
When do I receive the Belgian Child Benefit?
- If Belgium can pay every month: the payment is made at the beginning of the next month. For example, in Wallonia, your family allowances for January are paid at the beginning of February. In Flanders, it's around the 6th of the month. In Wallonia, it's around the 8th (Keep in mind that a payment on a French bank account may take a few more days).
- If Belgium makes an additional payment, in january and in july we'll ask an overview of the payments made by the CAF. Each time we ask for the amounts paid in the past half year. As soon as we receive an answer from France, we can calculate the additional payment for the past half year.
How much will I receive?
- Check out the Belgian amounts here. You can also calculate the amount you are entitled to yourself.
- If you are entitled to a differential payment in Belgium, the amount depends on the payments made in France. Every six months, we'll ask an overview of the payments made by the CAF. This allows us to calculate the difference between the Belgian and French amounts. The calculation is made per month and per child.
Do you still have questions? Do you want advice tailored to your situation?
Contact us or submit your application now! KidsLife will take care of the rest!
