Families with children are facing a major change. The long-standing child benefit is being abolished from October 2025 and replaced by the so-called child bonus, which is one of the components of the new super benefit. What does this mean in practice? Who will still qualify for the benefit, what all new documents are required and what happens if you don’t claim the new benefit on time? In this article, we explain everything in clear terms and supplement it with real-life examples.
Until recently, child benefit was a familiar fixture among benefits – helping hundreds of thousands of families cope with the costs of raising children. But from October 2025 it became a thing of the past. It has been replaced by the child bonus, which is part of the new unified super benefit. This has merged the four original benefits into one and places greater emphasis on the overall social and financial position of the whole household.
Previously, any dependent child (i.e. under 18 or a student under 26) was entitled to the bonus, provided the family income did not exceed 3.4 times the minimum subsistence level. The amount of the allowance varied according to the age of the child and could be increased if at least one parent was gainfully employed. In order to receive the benefit, it was therefore sufficient to provide proof of income and, where applicable, proof of education.
Getting to grips with the new system can be tricky. Our lawyers can help you get what you’re entitled to quickly and efficiently – in a clear and straightforward way.
The child bonus is one of four components of the new super benefit, which has unified the state social assistance system. Along with it, it includes the Housing, Living and Working Bonus components. The purpose of this reform is to simplify administration while better targeting help to those who really need it. So instead of four different applications, a household submits just one – for the super allowance – and the state itself assesses which components they are entitled to.
This has major implications – applications are no longer judged on income alone, but on the overall situation of the household. This means that the authorities now assess not only income but also assets – for example, ownership of property, vehicles or savings. The work activities of adult household members and the schooling of dependent children are also taken into account. The change thus brings both greater targeting of aid and more administrative complexity and stricter rules. For many families, it is important to know what the new arrangements entail and how to prepare to avoid losing support.
Also new is that a short-term increase in income no longer means automatic loss of benefit. If a family earns some extra money temporarily (for example, through seasonal work or remuneration at work), they will not lose their benefit. The system thus better motivates people to work and does not “punish” those who are trying to be self-sufficient.
On the other hand, the bonus is granted only to those who meet all the conditions, including the consent of all adult members of the household to verify the data. The state looks at registers and checks assets, income and housing costs when making decisions.
Tip: The new state benefit promised a simpler and fairer social support system. In reality, however, some households are experiencing a dramatic drop in assistance. Why this is so and what specific problems the superdose brings in practice.
One of the key conditions for claiming the Child Bonus under the Superannuation is work activity. The state is making it clear that the aid is to be directed primarily to those who are trying to be self-sufficient – or at least actively trying to be. But it doesn’t mean you necessarily have to be employed. The law allows other forms of activity to count.
A person is considered to be ‘in work’ if they are working (employed, self-employed), working with the Job Centre (registering and attending regular appointments), participating in retraining, or have a ‘recognised barrier’ – for example, illness or disability.
The work activity condition applies to all adults in the household, except for those who are logically or medically exempt: parents caring for a child under 3, seniors over 68, holders of a disability pension, the long-term sick or those caring for another household member with support needs.
Crucially, this condition is strongly reflected in the ‘child bonus’ component, which is aimed at families with dependent children – typically working-age households. If there is a healthy adult living in such a household, who is not working, not dealing with the employment office and does not have an exemption, there is no entitlement to the child bonus, even if the household otherwise qualifies in terms of income and assets. This is a major change from past practice. Previously, the child benefit was paid even to completely passive households where no one worked. Now, it is activity that is decisive.
By contrast, for example, the previous housing benefit was previously often received by senior citizens, who can now also receive the super allowance, but precisely because of their exemption from work activity. For them, therefore, the condition is usually not a barrier. This is all the more so for parents with children. In practice, it turns out that failure to meet the work activity condition is a common reason why some households do not qualify for the child bonus – even when they are otherwise eligible for the other components of the super allowance.
With the advent of the so-called super allowance, the entire system of state housing support has changed. Instead of the housing allowance and housing supplement, there is a new Housing component – one of the parts of the single state social assistance benefit. Who will qualify for it, what affects its amount and how to make a proper application? This is the subject of a separate article.
It is not enough for a household to meet the income, assets and work conditions to qualify for the child bonus under the superannuation. Children’s school attendance also plays an important role – and the state is now looking more closely at this than ever before.
The essential condition is that the child must be a so-called dependent child. This is a child who is either attending primary school or is continuously preparing for a future profession – i.e. studying at a secondary, higher vocational or higher education institution (up to the age of 26). For children over 15 years of age, proof of studies is required. For schools that do not send data directly to the register, you must ask for the certificate yourself and provide it to the Job Centre.
But that’s not all. If a child has unexcused absences over the limit, the child bonus may be suspended, even if you otherwise meet all the other conditions. The length and severity of absence is examined in the context of the individual case.
The purpose of this condition is to ensure that no support is given to families who neglect compulsory school attendance. This change is motivational in nature – the state wants to make parents more responsible for their children’s education. However, the problem arises, for example, with secondary school pupils who slack off or interrupt their studies – if the labour office does not know about it, the bonus may continue for a while, but it will want it back after a retrospective check.
You’ve applied for the super allowance including the child bonus, you think you meet all the conditions – but the money is nowhere to be found? This situation is not exceptional. Here’s an overview of the possible reasons why the benefit hasn’t arrived and what you can do about it.
The most common reason is that the Labour Office has not yet completed the procedure. This is because it has a legal deadline of up to 90 days from the date of application to make a decision, which can be very difficult for families in financial hardship. If you feel that everything is dragging on too long, we recommend that you call or write to the office to make sure you have the complete documents.
Another common problem is the lack of consent from an adult member of the household. Without their signature and consent to data processing, the authority will not pay the benefit – and the procedure will effectively stop.
The bonus can also be suspended because of missing information about a child’s school attendance, or if a household member fails to prove that he or she is working and does not fall within the exceptions (e.g. illness, childcare, etc.).
So, to be on the safe side: keep an eye on deadlines, follow the office’s prompts and communicate.
Please note – if you previously received Child Benefit but have not claimed Superannuation by the end of December 2025, your entitlement will end after April 2026. If this is the case, you won’t get the child benefit again until you make a new claim and go through the whole process again.
The child bonus as part of the super allowance replaced the original child benefit. However, it is not automatic – families need to apply for it, ideally by the end of 2025, to ensure a smooth continuation of their existing support. In addition to income, household assets, adult work activity and children’s school attendance are now taken into account. The benefit procedure cannot even be initiated without the consent of all adult members of the household. The amount of the bonus may vary according to the family’s activity, and the benefit may be suspended or withdrawn altogether if the conditions are not met. If the bonus is not forthcoming, the most common reasons are pending proceedings, missing consents or unclear information. The Labour Office has up to 90 days to make a decision, but may retroactively reimburse the benefit.
A household with a dependent child that meets the asset and income test and provides evidence of adult work activity.
Try contacting the office – often a document or consent is missing or the procedure is still open (the deadline is up to 90 days).
Yes, for example, due to a child’s unexcused absence from school or failure to comply with a work activity requirement.
Yes. If you don’t apply by 31 December 2025, your benefit will end and you won’t get a new bonus.
Have you applied for sickness, maternity, parental allowance or other benefit and instead of the expected support, you received a rejection? Or were you awarded a benefit in a lower amount than is appropriate for your situation?
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