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Students
It is not easy to find out what rights to child benefit your student still has when he or she turns 18. The rights change when they work, stop going to school... So what now? What about your child? We will give you a hand.
Want to make some money? Of course you do. But you do want to retain your right to child benefits. This is possible, under certain conditions. The first thing you need to do is inform yourself properly. Here is what you need to know in advance... It all depends on where you live. Let's have a look at what happens in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia.
If your child stops attending classes in the course of the school year, the right to child benefit as pupil or student ends at the end of the month in which the studies are stopped. After this, an entitlement can possibly arise as a school leaver (see school leaver).
Exception: illness (see below)
Then you do not need to do anything to receive any extra allowances if your student
Please notify us immediately if your student works more or does other work than allowed by the conditions, is registered as self-employed in main occupation or receives benefits.
However, an entitlement as a school leaver can possibly arise after this (see school leaver).
Exception: illness (see below).
Your child follows lessons in both higher and non-higher education for at least 17 hours a week (1 credit of higher education = half an hour of lessons).
! Attention: credits for the editing of a doctoral thesis do not count towards the right to child benefit.
The right to the Growth package starts at the beginning of the academic year, provided that the enrolment for at least a part of the 27 credits happened before 30 November. If the enrolment(s) is (are) reduced to less than 27 credits in the course of the academic year or the enrolment is terminated, then the entitlement to a Growth Package stops immediately at the end of the month. There may still be an entitlement as a school leaver. When your child falls ill, the entitlement can exceptionally be retained.
The young person follows lessons in both higher and non-higher education
For example: your child is enrolled for 20 credits in higher education and follows 7 lessons in non-higher education. The sum is 10+7 = 17 teaching hours, so just enough to retain the right to family benefits.
If the course is non-higher education and is not recognised by the foreign government, it has to be proved that the young person is registered for at least 17 teaching hours a week. young people who have already obtained a final certificate of secondary education in Belgium and who are not in higher education outside Belgium in a country that is not part of the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland or with which Belgium has not concluded a bilateral agreement are entitled to a maximum of 1 school year. Young people who follow higher education in such a country have an entitlement for the entire period of the education followed.
The child has to keep his domicile in Flanders or be put on 'temporarily absent' status by the municipality. And a parent is not allowed to practice any gainful activity in the child's country of residence.
Working students
Your child works more than 80 hours in a calendar month through another employment (as a temporary worker, with a permanent contract of fixed or indefinite duration, with a student contract without reduced social contributions). The following are not counted: work in the framework of work-linked training, a traineeship required to obtain a diploma, certificate or licence, work in the framework of a recognised and monitored apprenticeship contract and voluntary work.
Has your son or daughter stopped studying? Then he or she can still receive child benefit for 12 months as a school-leaver (the amount for a school-leaver is equal to the amount he received as a student).
This period of 12 months starts
The period of 12 months is interrupted when your child starts education again. The young person can then again get child benefit as pupil/student/trainee. The remaining period as a school-leaver starts again as soon as your child is no longer in education.
Child benefit as a school-leaver stops when your child obtains an income. Also take a look at the section "Your child is over 18, studies and works. When are you no longer entitled to your family benefits?
Attention: voluntary work, internship, or non-recognized training abroad: provide us with a certificate from the volunteer organisation concerned, RVA or VDAB.
Entitlement continues during the Christmas, Easter and summer holidays under specific conditions.
When studies in Belgium, an EEA member state or Switzerland are preceded or followed by studies abroad, a maximum of four months is allowed during the intervening summer holidays.
Holiday periods between two years of study abroad must be attested by the foreign school and may not exceed 120 days.
Your child becomes ill during studies and is linked to a learning agreement? Contact your case manager.
If the young person becomes ill during an apprenticeship in order to be appointed to public office, also contact your case manager.
Students
This period is not only difficult for the students who are blocked. Parents also feel the pressure that their student experiences. Good news for all those parents: we developed a 'question trail' that effortlessly leads you to the right answer.
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Child benefit
We like to keep in close contact with you. First of all, we would like to hear how you and your child(ren) are doing.
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Self-employed
Want to be self-employed and keep your current job? This is perfectly possible: as a self-employed person with a secondary occupation. Because with this status you combine your self-employed activity with your main occupation with an employer.
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