Am I eligible for any financial support during pregnancy?
Belgium
English
Do you have a child aged 0-3 or expecting a baby?

Women residing in Belgium have the right to receive a birth allowance (allocation de naissance/geboortepremie). Women can apply for this from when they are 24 weeks pregnant until 5 years after the birth of your child.

 

You can also ask CPAS/OCMW  of your commune for financial assistance during pregnancy. Your request will be analyzed according to your particular situation and therefore your pregnancy. For more information : https://www.belgium.be/fr/famille/aide_sociale/cpas

 

Normally, the father of the child will apply. If it’s not possible for the father to apply, the mother can do so instead. If you are employed/unemployed you apply through the child benefit fund of your (last) employer; if you are self-employed you apply through FAMIFED (Agence fédérale pour les allocations familiales/Federaal agentschap voor kinderbijstand) or your child benefit fund;

 

Once the birth has taken place you must provide the benefits office with a proof of birth, which can be obtained when registering the birth at a local registry office. (http://www.expatica.com/be/healthcare/Having-a-baby-in-Belgium_100241.html)

 

The medical staff providing prenatal care will provide the relevant documentation and the actual payout will be made directly to the mother with the amount depending on how many children you already have. For more information: http://vlaanderen.famifed.be/fr/familles/naissance-et-adoption/allocation-de-naissance

 

After the birth of the child, families are entitled to receive free vouchers. ‘Titres services' / 'dienstencheques' are tax-deductible ‘cheques’ that can be used to pay for domestic services such as cleaning, ironing, grocery shopping. Cheques currently cost €9 each, for one hour of work, and are tax deductible at 30%. Depending on your situation, you may be entitled to full reimbursement for a certain number of cheques, by the mutuelle or for single mothers.It can be requested as of the 6th month of pregnancy until a few weeks after the birth. Please check with your mutuelle.


For a detailed breakdown of Belgian child benefit rates visit: www.kids.partena.be  

http://www.thevillage.be/admin-and-rights/allowances-and-other-benefits/free-domestic-help

http://www.titresservices-sodexo.be/

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