Changes in your family situation

Separation or divorce is a major event and you will have a lot to deal with at this difficult time. 

Dutch child benefit is paid to the parent with whom the child is living. 

You are co-parenting

If your child lives with you and your ex-partner in turn, you may be ‘co-parenting ’. This will be the case if:

• you are both responsible for looking after and supporting your child, and
• the child lives with each parent for a more or less an equal amount of time, and
• you share the cost of raising your child and you both pay roughly the same, and
• the agreements you have made have been written down and signed by both parents, or
• the agreements are recorded in a court ruling

If you are co-parenting, you and your ex-partner can agree on how the child benefit should be divided between the two of you. If you do not make an agreement, you will each get half of the child benefit.

Child budget 

If you and your partner separate, this will normally also affect the child budget that is paid by Dienst Toeslagen. If you did not receive child budget before you separated, you may be entitled to child budget after the separation.

If your partner is not receiving child benefit, nothing will change for you. If your partner also gets child benefit, you will have to choose whether:

• you will receive the child benefit for all the children, or
• your partner will receive the child benefit for all the children, or
• you each keep receiving child benefit for your own children

Child budget

If you receive child budget, Dienst Toeslagen will pay the entire amount of child budget to the parent who receives the child benefit.

Your partner works outside the Netherlands

If your partner works outside the Netherlands, there may be consequences for your child benefit. Your partner may qualify for family benefits from the other country.

If you live in the Netherlands and already receive child benefit and you have another child, you do not have to apply for child benefit again. After you register your child’s birth with your municipality (gemeente), you will automatically receive a letter from us showing your new child benefit amount.

It is important to register your child with your health insurer within 4 months. You can then be sure that the medical costs for your child will be reimbursed.

You live outside the Netherlands

If you live outside the Netherlands and you have another child, you should report your child’s birth to us. We will then check whether you qualify for Dutch child benefit.

The death of a parent is devastating. You will have a lot to deal with at this difficult time.

If the deceased parent received child benefit, we will see whether the other parent can receive the child benefit. If there is no other parent and the child goes to live with another member of the family, for example, we will see who can get the child benefit.

If the parent died in the Netherlands, you do not have to report the death to us. We will be informed by the municipality (gemeente). If the parent died in another country, you will need to report the death to us directly.

Your child moving away from home is a big change, and you will have a lot to deal with. In some cases, you will remain entitled to child benefit.

If your child is living away from home to follow a course of study, or because of illness or disability, you can get child benefit at twice the basic rate in some situations.

The death of a child is devastating. You will have a lot to deal with at this difficult time and you may have questions about child benefit, for example.

Payment of child benefit will stop as from the quarter following the death. You will receive a letter about this. If you receive child benefit for your other children, the new child benefit amount will also be stated in the letter.

If the death occurred in the Netherlands, you do not have to report it to us. We will be informed by the municipality (gemeente). If your child died in another country, you will need to report the death to us directly.