Graduated from school or stopped your studies? It's the start of a new chapter in life!

Now you've handed in your schoolbooks, a new chapter in your life awaits. You probably have all kinds of practical questions: Am I still entitled to child benefits? Should I register as a job-seeker? What paperwork do I need to get together? We will be happy to help you on your way.


Are you still entitled to Child Benefits or the Growth Package?

The end of your studies doesn't automatically mean the end of receiving child benefits. You can still get a child benefit or the Growth Package in certain cases.

Your very last summer holidays

Sounds rather dramatic, doesn't it? But of course we mean your last summer holidays as a student.

As a student, you can still be entitled to the Growth Package or a child benefit through to the end of your last school holidays. For higher education students in Belgium, the summer holidays are until the end of September. For secondary school students, they last until the end of August. If you stopped your studies prematurely during the course of the school year, you are only entitled to the student child benefit up to and including the month in which you terminated your studies.

Example: Silke graduates on 30/06/2022 as a speech therapist at the HOGENT University of Applied Sciences and Art. She can still be entitled to child benefit as a student until 30 September.

Example: A few months into his studies, Thomas decides that it isn't really his cup of tea. He officially stops being a student on 12 November 2022. We can still consider Thomas as a student until 30 November 2022.

And what happens after your studies?

You may even still be entitled to child benefits or the Growth Package after finishing your studies:

  • In Flanders, this is for a limited period of 12 months as a school-leaver.
  • In Wallonia and Brussels, this period is 1 year when registering as a job-seeker with Actiris (Brussels) or the FOREM (Wallonia)

Please note: There is an unconditional right to child benefits or Growth Package up to the age of 18. In Wallonia, there is even an automatic right to child benefits until the age of 21 in some cases. And there may be an entitlement until the age of 25 under certain conditions. You can read the conditions for students in each region here. For school-leavers and job-seekers, the conditions are listed here.


Do you want to notify KidsLife about your student's or job-seeker's situation? You can on My KidsLife.

Go to My KidsLife


Starting you career

Have you found a job straight out of school? That's great! But remember that this can sometimes mean that your entitlement to child benefits or Growth Package stops.

Working as a ‘job student’ during the summer holidays

In Flanders, it's never a problem to work during the last summer holidays as a student. You will still keep your entitlement to child benefits. The conditions in Brussels and Wallonia are different. You'll find all the details here.

Working as a school-leaver or job-seeker after finishing your studies

There is a maximum number of hours you can work to retain the entitlement to child benefits. In Flanders, for example, you are allowed to work up to 80 hours a month for an employer. In Brussels, you aren't allowed to work more than 240 hours in three months, and your child benefit entitlements in Wallonia depend on your income. The detailed conditions for each region can be found here.


What about my leave as a graduate?

In the first year of employment you haven't been able to accumulate any annual leave yet. Does this mean you’re not entitled to any holidays? Not at all!

  • If you start working for the government, you get a number of holidays immediately.
  • Are you not employed by the government and are you under 25? Then you can apply for 4 weeks of young persons’ holiday. This means that after the first week of your young persons’ holiday, you can submit the form “C103-young persons’ holiday employee” to your payment institution (the insurance fund or trade union).
  • Are you over the age of 25? Then you may be able to apply for European leave or supplementary holiday.

The paperwork after leaving school

You know you have to do some paperwork after graduating, but what forms do you fill in? We've listed all of them here for you. Do you need to register with the Flemish Employment Agency (VDAB)?  And what about health insurance? Is there anything else I need to know? 




    There are 4 payment institutions: 

    1. Belgian trade union federation (ABVV) 
    2. General headquarters of the liberal trade unions of Belgium (ACLVB) 
    3. Christian trade union federation (ACV)  
    4. Auxiliary fund for unemployment benefits (HVW)

     

    Are you starting full-time or temporary work the day after you finished your studies? Then you don't have to register with an employment service. That is, of course, unless you're looking for another job. See all information about your vocational integration period on the website of the VDAB

    If you aren't a member of a trade union, your payment institution will automatically be the Auxiliary Fund for Unemployment Benefits (HVW).

    Do you have a job lined up after finishing your studies or training? Sometimes you still need to register with an employment service. This is required in the following situations: 

    You have signed your employment contract but won't be starting your new job immediately  Will you be working part-time? Then register as a part-time job-seeker.  


    Join a health insurance fund!

    A mutual health organisation or health insurance fund offers services and benefits to help you stay healthy or to support you if your health lets you down. They act as an intermediary for medical care in case of illness or an accident, and they may give you an allowance if you become unfit for work. 

    When is the right time to join a mutual health organisation?

    • After your 25th birthday
    • When you start your new job or when your vocational integration period with the VDAB ends, it's time to register with a mutual health organisation or health insurance fund (national health service).

    You can choose between 5 different health insurance funds in Belgium, one of which is the CM.


    Werken als Schoolverlater

    Working as a ‘job student’ during the summer holidays

    In Flanders, it's never a problem to work during the last summer holidays as a student. You will still keep your entitlement to child benefits. The conditions in Brussels and Wallonia are different. You'll find all the details here.


    Dependent adult children

    The ‘dependent’ status has nothing to do with your Child Benefit and Growth Package.

    If you have one or more dependants, then you’re entitled to a tax benefit. This means that a larger portion of your income will not be subject to tax.

    You can find all information related to the ‘dependent’ status on the Belgian government website.


    Turning 25: say goodbye to the Child Benefit Fund

    Unfortunately, your Child Benefit and Growth Package entitlements expire once your child reaches the age of 25. This means even if your child continues studying after the age of 25 or hasn’t yet started work, we are unable to make any further payments.

    But it's not a permanent farewell, because hopefully your children will choose KidsLife when they decide to start a family of their own …


    Would you like to calculate how much child benefit you will receive in a particular situation? You can do this easily online.

    Use the simulation tool