Vera ZoetendalNavigating the landscape of financial support for parents in the Netherlands can be a daunting task, especially for newcomers to the country or those embarking on the journey of parenthood for the first time. In this short guide, we’ll explore 3 various types of financial support available: Kinderbijslag, Kinderopvang toeslag and Kindgebonden Budget, providing you with valuable insights on these benefits and the requirements to receive them.
- Kinderbijslag (Child Benefit)
- Kinderopvang Toeslag (Daycare Allowance)
- Kindgebonden Budget (Child-Related Budget)
1. Kinderbijslag (Child benefit)
Kinderbijslag, also known as ‘child benefit,’ is a financial benefit provided by the Dutch government to help parents cover the costs of raising their children until they are 18 years old. It is intended to help cover expenses such as clothing, food and education, but parents are not obliged to spend the money on that.
Parents are eligible to receive Kinderbijslag if they reside/work in The Netherlands and if their children are younger than 18 years old. Kinderbijslag is not dependend on the income of the parents. So every parent can receive Kinderbijslag! Kinderbijslag is automatically paid to you through the Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB).
The SVB receives information about your newborn via your municipality. They will send you a letter containing instructions on how to request the Kinderbijslag. If you do not receive this letter, you have to contact the SVB. You will receive Kinderbijslag at the end of every quarter of the year. When your child turns 18 years old, the Kinderbijslag stops automatically. The amount of Kinderbijslag a parent receives depends on the amount of kind and their age.
In the first and second quarter of 2024, the amount of Kinderbijslag were:
- 0 – 5 years old: €279,49 per quarter
- 6 – 11 years old: €339,38 per quarter
- 12 – 17 years old: €399,27 per quarter
The amount of Kinderbijslag can be higher than these amounts if your child does not live at home due to illness, eduation or if your child lives with another parent. Or if your child lives at home, but needs intensive care due to a special condition or disease. To request these higher amounts of Kinderbijslag, you need to contact the SVB.
If you do not have the Dutch nationality and are not from an EU-country, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland, you need a valid residence permit to be able to receive Kinderbijslag. Check the website of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).
2. Kinderopvang toeslag (Daycare Allowance)
Kinderopvang Toeslag is a benefit that helps you cover the costs of daycare for your kids while you are at work. You can receive Kinderopvang Toeslag if both (!) you and your partner are working, going to school or studying, are starting to work following a certain procedure (think reintegration) or are following an Inburgeringscursus (integration course). Voluntary work is not seen as work in this instance. It is important that you are the caregiver for the child. This is usually the case if you receive Kinderbijslag.
If you are not receiving Kinderbijslag, you need to prove that you are an important caregiver for the child. This implies that you contribute to the living costs of the child for at least €519 per quarter. Another requirement is that the daycare is approved by your municipality and registered in the Landelijk Register Kinderopvang (LRK) and has an LRK-number. Without this number you can’t request the benefit. The last requirement is that the child going to the daycare lives with you. This means that you live at the same address and that your child is registered at the same address as you are. The rules are different if you are co-parenting, check the website of the Belastingdienst for more information.
The Kinderopvang Toeslag does not cover all the costs of the daycare. You always have to pay a part of the costs yourself. This is called a compulsory contribution. The Belastingdienst may ask you to prove this with bank statements that you paid the daycare costs on time. Paying on time means that you paid the daycare within 6 months after the end of the year in which the child went to the daycare and costs were being made. For example, you need to pay all your daycare costs (including compulsory contribution) from 2024, before July 1st 2025.
The amount of Kinderopvang Toeslag you can receive depends on your income. The higher your income, the lower the amount of Kinderopvang Toeslag. It is at least 33,3% for the first child and 67,1% for the second child. The Dutch government covers at highest 96% of the hourly rate of the daycare for a maximum of 230 hours per month. The maximum hourly rates for 2024 which the government covers are:
- Dagopvang (daycare): €10,25
- Buitenschoolse opvang (after school care): €9,12
- Gastouderopvang (daycare by guest parent): €7,53
You can request Kinderopvang Toeslag at the Belastingdienst. You will need the contract of the daycare and your income statement. Usually, the Belastingdienst will make a decision within 5 weeks. You only have to request Kinderopvang Toeslag for your first child going to a daycare. If later on another child goes to the daycare, you simply need to report a change. You have to request the Kinderopvang Toeslag within 3 months after the day your child goes to daycare for the first day.
If you do not have the Dutch nationality and are not from an EU-country, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland, you need a valid residence permit to be able to receive Kinderopvang Toeslag. Check the website of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).
3. Kindgebonden Budget (Child-Related Budget)
Kindgebonden budget (Child-Related Budget) is a supplementary benefit provided by the Dutch government. It is designed to provide financial assistance to families with lower incomes to help cover the costs of raising children. The amount of the Kindgebonden Budget differs according to your personal situation. If you do not receive the Kindgebonden Budget, but you think you are eligible to receive it, you can request it at the SVB. The parent who also receives the Kinderbijslag should do this.
An important condition to receive Kindgebonden Budget, is that the parent’s income does not exceed certain thresholds. These thresholds differ whether you have a ‘toeslagpartner’ or not. According to the Belastingdienst a ‘toeslagpartner’ is someone who counts for the benefits together with you. This means that your income and assets both count towards the benefits you receive, and that you receive these together. A ‘toeslagpartner’ can be your spouse or registered partner, or someone else registered at your address.
In 2024, the thresholds to receive Kindgebonden Budget were a maximum of €140.213 worth of assets without a toeslagpartner and €177.301 with a toeslagpartner. This means that if your assets are higher than these amounts, you are not eligible to receive the Kindgebonden budget.
If you live with your family and work in the Netherlands and are not Dutch, you can only possibly receive Kindgebonden Budget if you are already receiving Kinderbijslag. The most important requirement to be able to receive a Kindgebonden Budget is that you have a valid residence permit which allows you to receive benefits from the government. Rules differ if you and your partner have the nationality of a EU-country, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland. Information about residence permits and associated matters are available on the website of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND).
To conclude, there are many options to get extra financial support while taking care of your new family member. Be sure to request the benefits on time to make sure you don’t miss out. We hope this article cleared the way to find financial support while taking care of your little one in the Netherlands.
Please note that all official information are available on websites of the Dutch government such as: www.toeslagen.nl, www.belastingdienst.nl, www.rijksoverheid.nl, www.ind.nl, and www.svb.nl. Parentally can not be held accountable for incorrect information in this article. We strongly advise you to always check the official websites of the Dutch government or consult a legal expert.
Karoll
Parentally
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