THE ESSENTIALS
In Brussels, you’re entitled to family allowances until August 31st of the year you turn 18, with no conditions. After 18 and up to a maximum of 25 years old, you can continue to receive them if you’re studying, in training, or in a professional integration internship, under certain conditions. Be careful, your student job can impact this right if you exceed a certain number of hours.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Until what age are you entitled to family allowances?
- Before 18: It’s automatic! You receive your family allowances unconditionally until August 31st of the year you turn 18. It doesn’t matter if you’re studying or working.
- Between 18 and 25: To continue receiving them, you must prove that you are in one of these situations:
- You are in full-time education (secondary, higher, university). For secondary, you need at least 17 hours of classes per week. For higher education, it’s a minimum of 27 credits or 13 hours of classes per week.
- You are in an alternating training program or a recognized apprenticeship.
- You are a young job seeker in a professional integration internship and registered with Actiris.
- After 25: The right to family allowances stops the month you turn 25, even if you are still studying or in training.
What can make you lose your family allowances (in Brussels):
- Working too many hours: If you are over 18 and work more than 240 hours per quarter (excluding July, August, and September if you resume your studies), you lose your family allowances for that quarter. During the summer holidays (July, August, September), you can work without an hour limit if you resume studies afterward.
- Stopping your studies: If you drop out of your studies during the academic year, you risk losing your right.
- Not registering as a job seeker (if you’ve finished your studies): If you finish your studies and don’t register quickly with Actiris, the 360-day period during which you can still receive your allowances (under conditions) begins, and you lose part of this right.
- Self-employment as a main activity: If you start as a self-employed person with payment of social contributions, your allowances will be stopped.
- Certain social benefits: If you receive unemployment, waiting, or career interruption benefits, your right to family allowances ends.
Student job ceiling (for family allowances in Brussels):
- As mentioned, the limit is 240 hours per quarter during the school year (1st, 2nd, and 4th quarter).
- During the 3rd civil quarter (July, August, September), there is no hour limit if you continue your studies the following school year.
- Hours worked as part of a mandatory internship for your studies are not included in this calculation.
Amounts of family allowances in Brussels (amounts indexed since 01/09/2026):
- For a child born from 01/12/2019:
- 0-11 years: €194.04 per month.
- 12-17 years: €206.98 per month.
- 18-24 years (higher education): €219.91 per month.
- 18-24 years (no higher education or job seeker): €206.98 per month.
- For a child born before 01/12/2019, the amounts may be different and depend on the family situation. Your family allowance fund will always pay you the most advantageous amount.
New “Post-student” status in Wallonia (be careful, different rules in Brussels):
- Since July 1st, 2026, in Wallonia, if you are between 21 and 25 years old and you finish or stop your studies, you can still benefit from family allowances for a maximum period of 12 months via the “Post-student” status. This “12-month pot” does not have to be used all at once.
- In Brussels, the rules are different: registering as a job seeker allows you to keep allowances for 360 days (calendar) after the end of studies, under conditions.
HOW TO DO IT
- After you turn 18: Every year in September, your family allowance fund (like Famiris) will send you a “Family allowances for students” form.
- Fill out the form: You and your school must fill it out and sign it.
- Send it back: Send the form as soon as possible by email to your case manager or by post to your family allowance fund.
- If you’ve finished your studies: Register quickly as a job seeker with Actiris so you don’t lose part of your right to family allowances during the 360-day period.
- Check your student job hours: Keep an eye on the number of hours you work via Student@work to avoid exceeding the limits and losing your allowances.
THE PITFALLS
- Exceeding the hour quota: If you work more than 240 hours per quarter (excluding summer if you resume studies) in Brussels, your parents will have to reimburse the family allowances received for that quarter.
- Forgetting to prove your studies: If you don’t submit the school certificate each year, the payment of your allowances may be suspended.
- Late registration as a job seeker: If you finish your studies and register late with Actiris, the 360-day period during which you are entitled to allowances still begins on the scheduled date, and you lose months of allowances.
- Working under a student contract after finishing studies: If you finished your studies in June and don’t plan to resume them, it’s not advisable to work under a student contract the following summer, as you no longer have student status. This could lead to a reimbursement of benefits related to reduced social contributions.
WHERE TO FIND INFORMATION
For all official and personalized information, contact these organizations directly:
- Famiris: The public family allowance fund in Brussels.
- Phone: +32 800 35 950
- E-mail: info@famiris.brussels
- Iriscare: The organization that manages the family allowance system in Brussels.
- Parentia Bruxelles: A private family allowance fund in Brussels.
- Phone: 02/549.72.19
- E-mail: brussels@parentia.be
- Brussels Family: Another private family allowance fund in Brussels.
- E-mail: info@brusselsfamily.be
- KidsLife Bruxelles: Another private family allowance fund in Brussels.
- Infor Jeunes Bruxelles: For advice and information on your rights.
Verified sources
- famiris.brussels
- bruxelles-j.be
- mesallocations.be
- jeminforme.be
- ijbxl.be
- kidslife.be
Information verified on 09/09/2026. Amounts and rules may change: always check with the official organization.