Families with three or more children to receive additional benefits starting July
Starting July 1, families with three to six children will receive €300 in addition to the current child support paid by the state, and families with seven children or more will receive an additional €400 a month.
For example, a family with three children will altogether receive €500 a month in family support payments, and a family with seven children €1,000.
According to advisor at the Social Insurance Board's compensations department, Merlin Loorits, families don't need to apply for the new benefits, but will receive them automatically. Some 18,000 families will receive the new increased benefits, Loorits added.
The aim of the increased support payment is to partially cover the cost of raising children, and the payment will be made to parents who are involved in raising their children on a daily basis.
In families where one of the partners had a child from a previous relationship, the parent would receive the supplement that had previously received family support, Loorits said.
In the case of children whose parents have separated and that are living in two families, it will be up to the parents to decide which family the child is a part of in terms of the benefits to be paid out.
One parent of a family with three or more children has the right to the support payments. The benefits are paid up to the age of 16, or to the age of 19 if the youngster continues to go to school.
Editor: Dario Cavegn
