As of when will I be entitled to the benefit on the first child?

The child-support benefit on each child will be available as of 1 July this year irrespectively of the family’s income.

How can I apply for the “Family 500+” benefit?

Just as in previous years, it will be possible in a traditional manner (e.g. during a personal visit at the office or by mail) or electronically (e-banking channel and Emp@tia’s website).

Will the deadlines for submitting applications change? When will the money be paid?

In 2019, as it has been so far, you will be able to submit applications electronically as of 1 July, or traditionally – as of 1 August. Changes in this scope are coming not earlier than in 2021.

It is worth remembering that in order to acquire the right to the child-support benefit in compliance with the new principles as of the beginning of binding thereof, i.e. as of 1 July 2019, a parent of a child on whom no benefit is currently provided, has to submit an application in the period between 1 July 2019 and 30 September 2019. If the child’s parent submits an application after 30 September, the benefit will be paid as of the month of submitting the application without compensation for the previous months.

In case of parents, who currently have the benefit granted until the end of September 2019, for the purposes of continuing payment of the child-support benefit after 30 September of the current year, can also submit applications as of 1 July electronically, and as of 1 August - traditionally. The application submitted until 31 August 2019 ensures payment of the benefit until the end of October 2019. Applications submitted in the following months –  granting a benefit and payment thereof will take place, as a rule, within 3 months as of the day of submitting the application.

What is important, is that on the grounds of applications submitted as of 1 July 2019, the benefit will be granted until 31 May 2021. It means that in 2020 it will not be necessary to submit another applications – only in order to obtain benefits for the period between 1 June 2021 and 31 May 2022, it will be necessary to submit another application as of February 2021.

What about deadlines for parents, who have a benefit for the second and next child granted, and they want to apply for “500+” also for the first child?

In the case of parents, who have currently a child-support benefit granted until 30 September 2019 on the second and next children, as of July 2019 they submit one application for determining the right to benefit on all children, on the grounds of which a benefit will be granted, respectively.

Will it be necessary to submit additional documents apart from the application for granting the “500+” benefit on the first child?

With regard to the elimination of the income criterion, parents will not have to document their income situation any more, and while determining the right to the educational benefit, the authority executing this benefit will mainly base on the information provided in the application and will verify it independently.

Dates of paying the granted benefit

- Submitting the application in the period between July and August 2019 means that the benefit, with compensation as of July, will be paid not later than on 31 October 2019.

- Submitting the application in September 2019 means that the benefit, with compensation as of July, will be paid not later than on 30 November 2019.

- Submitting the application in October 2019 means that the benefit, with compensation solely as of October, will be paid not later than on 31 December 2019.

- Submitting the application in November 2019 means that the benefit, with compensation solely as of November, will be paid not later than on 31 January 2020.

- Submitting the application between 1 December 2019 and 31 January 2020 means that the benefit, with compensation solely as of the month of submitting the application, will be paid not later than on 29 February 2020.

How many children will benefit from the programme?

According to the estimations of the Ministry of Family, Labour, and Social Policy, the support will reach in total 6.8 million children (today it is 3.6 million children – status as on February 2019). Among them, now also all children staying in educational-care centres.

What else will change? 

The project assumes, among others, the introduction of a special 3-month period counted as of the child’s date of birth - to submit an application for child-support benefit on newly born child. Submitting an application in this period of time will guarantee granting the benefit with a compensation as of the child’s date of birth. Currently, in such a case the benefit is granted as of the month of submitting the application. Furthermore, it is proposed to introduce a solution allowing granting, with continuity, the child-support benefit to the other parent of the child in case of death of the parent who has been granted the benefit or who died before consideration of the submitted application. Currently, in such a situation, as of the death of one parent the right to the granted benefit expires, since it is a personal, inalienable and non-hereditary right. Moreover, as of 1 July 2019 the right to the child-support benefit will no longer depend on determining maintenance on child from the other parent in case of applications submitted by single parents.