A child who loses one or both parents is entitled to an orphan allowance from the month of the parent's death onwards.
Wezentoeslag (orphan allowance)
Who qualifies for an orphan allowance?
How much is the orphan allowance?
A child who loses one parent (semi-orphan) receives each month:
- a basic amount of €176.66
- and, in addition, the semi-orphan allowance in the amount of €141.33.
A child that loses both parents gets each month:
- a basic amount of €176.66
- and, in addition, an orphan allowance of €176.65.
The orphan allowance is an unconditional right
The child will continue to receive the orphan allowance as long as he/she is entitled to the Groeipakket. Even when the surviving parent forms a new family or remarries.
The orphan allowance can be combined with a social allowance
When a partner dies, this often entails a loss of income. Within the Groeipakket system it is, therefore, possible to combine the orphan allowance with a social allowance.
An example: Kim was born on 5 November 2017. He lives with his dads Bert and Koen. He gets the Groeipakket with a basic amount of €101.69. Dad Bert dies on the 13th of June 2023. From June, Kim is entitled to the new basic amount of €176.66, supplemented by an orphan allowance of €141.33. This amount will be paid automatically from July 2023 onwards. If the family income is below the limit amount, a social allowance is added.
The child was orphaned before 2019
A child that was orphaned before 2019 retains the increased orphan allowance of €390.58 per month that existed under the old child benefits system.
If the surviving parent remarries or moves in with a new partner, the child is no longer entitled to the increased orphan allowance. The child will then receive the basic amount.
If the surviving parent later resumes living alone, the child will again be entitled to the increased orphan allowance.
How do you get the orphan allowance?
The orphan allowance is automatically assigned and paid. No application is required.
Your payment fund will receive a notification about the death from the National Registry. You can also notify your payment fund of the death yourself. This gives your payment fund the relevant details earlier, which allows it to pay the orphan allowance.
When do you get paid the orphan allowance?
The orphan allowance is paid along with the Groeipakket, around the 8th of the month.
When does the entitlement to the orphan allowance end?
When the entitlement to the Groeipakket ends, the child also stops being entitled to an orphan allowance.
If the child is receiving the increased orphan allowance for a parent who died before 2019, the entitlement to the increased orphan allowance also ceases when the surviving parent remarries or moves in with a new partner.