Disabled Child Allowance

Overview

A Disabled Child Allowance may be granted to children who are certified to be suffering from a physical and/or mental disability. This allowance is paid in addition to the Children’s Allowance and is valid until children turn sixteen (16) years or fourteen (14) years of age in case of visual impairment.

For information regarding cross-border situations please click here.

What you’ll get

The payments for this allowance are issued every thirteen (13) weeks in arrears.

Please click here for a Schedule of Benefits Rates.

Eligibility

General eligibility criteria:

• Applicants must hold a Maltese citizenship or married to a citizen of Malta or of a Member State of the European Union, or of a member country of the European Social Charter or has a refugee status and ordinarily resides in Malta or Gozo. The head of household must have the care and custody of the concerned child and certified to be suffering from a physical and/or mental disability by a Medical Board.
  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 a Disabled 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 a Disabled 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 a Disabled 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 be pay the Disabled Children’s Allowance, even though the other parent is employed abroad.

  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 for at least the past 6 months or is/are in receipt of Social Assistance / Subsidiary Assistance issued by the Department of Social Security.
• A Disabled Child Allowance may be awarded to claimants working on board Maltese Registered Vessels, under the same working conditions that apply to EU nationals.
• In cases of visual impairment, this allowance is paid until the disabled children reach fourteen (14) years of age due to the issuing of the Assistance for the Visually Impaired. Whilst for other disabilities this allowance is paid until the child reaches sixteen (16) years of age due to the issuing of an Assistance for a Disability.
• Once an application is received, it is referred to a medical board that decides whether the child is eligible for this allowance. The medical board may approve this allowance for up to a sixteen (16) year period or for a shorter, pre-defined period of time after which the child must once again be examined by the medical board. The decision by the medical board cannot be appealed. However, one can submit a request for an application to be re-considered by sending a letter together with a detailed medical report endorsed by a General Practitioner stating the child’s medical condition to support the case being made to the Director General (Social Security).

Documentation Required

General documentation:

• Click here to download the Medical report as requested in application.
• If applying as a couple, a separate declaration with signatures of both parents is required. Click here to download this document.

How to apply

A declaration signed by both parents where applicable and a detailed medical report endorsed by a General Practitioner and stating the child’s medical condition is to be submitted with the application. Where available, supporting documents regarding the medical condition of the child should be submitted with the application.

The application must reach the department within six (6) months of the birth of the child or within six (6) months from the child’s medical condition 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.