Children’s Allowance and Birth or Adoption Bonus – Additional Children – DSS

Parents are eligible to receive Children’s Allowance for all children. Hence, if a beneficiary is receiving Children’s Allowance, upon birth or adoption of a child the Children’s Allowance claim and payment will be updated automatically.

The Children’s Allowance payment rate will be revised in line with the change in circumstance.
The payment for this allowance is issued every thirteen (13) weeks in advance.
A once-only payment of five-hundred euro (€500) is paid to the mother of a newborn child or adoptive parent. Should the mother give birth for a second new child or more in the family, or adopt a second child or more, a once-only payment of one-thousand euro (€1000) is paid for each child (read more).
Please click here for a Schedule of Benefits Rates.
You may make use of the online Calculator to calculate the potential Children’s Allowance.

In those cases when a Children’s Allowance payment in respect of an ‘additional child’ is not issued within 1 month from registration of the child, a claimant must submit an application as payment will not be issued automatically if:

• The parents do not have the same address.
• A parent is single, in which case the care and custody documents must be submitted with the application.
• The ‘additional child’ was not born in Malta.

The application must reach the department within six (6) months of the birth of the child or the child’s adoption as stipulated by the Social Security Act (Cap. 318.). The allowance, or part of it, may be forfeited if the application is submitted late.
Fill in and submit the application online.

Documentation Required
General documentation:
 

• If applying as a couple, a separate declaration with signatures of both parents is required. Click here to download this document.
• Care and custody document (including with whom minor/s is/are living and amount of maintenance, signed by both parents).
• Copies of ID Cards of parent/s or adoptive parent/s.
• Declaration or affidavit ( in case one of the parents refuses to sign care and custody) stating with whom minor/s is/are living with and from which date.
• Separation contract / court decree (depending on case) in case of single parents.
• In case of an adoption, all relevant documentation related to the adoption process must be submitted to claim the Children’s Allowance for an ‘additional child’.
• Date of cohabitation / Marriage / Civil Union (if applicable) when submitting the Children’s Allowance application.
• Proof of ‘Date of Arrival in Malta’ (if applicable) when submitting the Children’s Allowance application. This may include copies of Boarding Passes and/or Passports.

General eligibility criteria:

• One of the parents should be a citizen of Malta or married to a Maltese citizen or in Civil Union with a Maltese citizen, or is a citizen of a European Union Member State, or a citizen of a member country of the European Social Charter, or has a refugee status and ordinarily resides in Malta or Gozo.
• In case of EU Nationals where:

• One of the parents is legally employed in Malta and the other parent is living and is unemployed in a foreign country, then the Department of Social Security is bound to pay Children’s Allowance.
• One of the parents is legally employed in Malta and the other parent is living and is on unpaid leave in a foreign country, then the Department of Social Security is bound to pay Children’s Allowance.
• One of the parents is legally employed in Malta and the other parent is living and is employed in a foreign country, then that foreign country is bound to pay Children’s Allowance if the child is living with the parent in the foreign country. If the child is living with the parent being employed in Malta, then the Department of Social Security will pay the Children’s Allowance, even though the other parent is employed abroad. The parent employed in a foreign country is to produce official proof that no Children’s Allowance is being paid from the foreign country.

• In case of Third Country Nationals where:
• Claimants and children are both living in Malta.
• Both parents have valid residential permits.
• One or both parents is/are in employment. Entitlement is according to Permit. If holding a Residence or Work permit, claimant will be entitled for Children’s Allowance with effect from the sixth (6th)month of employment.
• If claimant has a Blue Card / International Protection / Subsidiary Protection / Humanitarian Protection permit (including Temporary Permits), claimant will be entitled for Children’s Allowance from start of employment.
• If claimant is holding a Long-Term Residence Permit, claimant is entitled from date of permit, whereas holders of Intra Corporate Transfer Permit will be entitled from the ninth (9th) month of employment.
• Seasonal Worker Status and/or Student 3rd country Nationals are not entitled for Children’s Allowance if not holding any other permit mentioned above.
• Children’s Allowance is awarded from the date as indicated above if minor is born before employment date, however it is awarded from date of birth if minor is born after entitlement date explained above.

• Children’s Allowance may be awarded to claimants working on board Maltese Registered Vessels, under the same working conditions that apply to EU nationals.
• The applicant should be a resident of Malta at least 3 months before the date of application.
• In the case of every child born, it is the duty of the parents, and in default of both, of the physician, surgeon, midwife, or any other person in attendance at the birth, or in whose house the birth has taken place, to give, within fifteen (15) days of such birth, notice thereof to the Public Registry. The person transmitting such notice, is to present the Identity Card, and any documentation provided to them by the hospital.
• The applicant is bound to notify the Department of Social Security (not later than 6 months from occurrence) of any change in circumstances such as death, separation, marriage/co-habitation, change in custody, change of address, change in Bank Account number or termination/start of employment.
• Following the initial award of Children’s Allowance, a yearly review is carried out by the Department of Social Security based on information received through the Commissioner for Revenue and Financial Institutions. The Children’s Allowance rate is based on the household income two (2) years prior to the claim and/or revision of claim.