You have registered your family in the Netherlands and started receiving child benefit. It is easy to assume that you have now arranged all the available help. But another payment, the Dutch child budget, may also be available. It helps with the everyday costs of raising children.
The Dutch name is kindgebonden budget. Unlike ordinary child benefit, it depends on your income and assets. The number and ages of your children, and whether you have a benefits partner, also affect the calculation.
This guide covers the Dutch rules for 2026. It explains what to check before counting on a payment and how to use it in a family budget without confusing it with childcare support.
Get the three names straight first
Child benefit, called kinderbijslag, is paid by the Social Insurance Bank, or SVB. It normally arrives every quarter. Your earnings do not determine the amount of ordinary child benefit, although other conditions still apply.
The child budget is a separate monthly payment from Dienst Toeslagen, the benefits office. It is extra help for eligible families. You do not claim it by sending in receipts for clothes, food or school bags. Instead, the payment is calculated from your family and financial details.
Childcare allowance, called kinderopvangtoeslag, is different again. It helps with qualifying childcare bills and has its own rules for care arrangements and parents’ work or other qualifying activities. My guide to Dutch childcare allowance and your own costs explains those conditions.
A parent staying at home can therefore still be part of a family that qualifies for the child budget. You do not need a nursery contract. This distinction matters if one parent stops working: the consequences for child budget and childcare allowance need to be checked separately.
Who is the payment for?
The child budget is for children under 18. Usually, you must receive Dutch child benefit for the child. The parent registered as the child benefit applicant with the SVB is the parent considered for the child budget.
There are exceptions for some children aged 16 or 17 when child benefit is not paid but the parent contributes enough towards their upkeep. If that describes your family, check that particular rule. A general guide cannot establish the outcome from the child’s age alone.
Your residence status must also meet the benefit conditions. Being a parent with a Dutch bank account is not sufficient by itself. If you or your partner needs a residence permit, check that the status allows access to the benefit.
For a family arriving from abroad, start with the child benefit position and the household registration. Then check the child budget. The two systems are connected, but a letter awarding one payment does not necessarily tell you the amount of the other.
Why another family’s payment tells you little
There is no single income limit that gives every family the right answer. The calculation takes account of the number of children, their ages and partner status. Two families with the same income may therefore receive different amounts.
Extra amounts apply when a child reaches 12 and again at 16, starting from the month after the birthday. The final payment still depends on the rest of the calculation. A teenager does not create an unconditional payment of a fixed amount for every household.
The income used is the full year’s qualifying income, or toetsingsinkomen. Your monthly take-home salary is not the right figure. Holiday pay, a bonus or freelance work may change the estimate. A business owner’s turnover is not the same as personal qualifying income either.
Imagine one parent changes jobs in October. A trial calculation based only on the new monthly salary could give the wrong picture of the year. The income earned from January to September still matters. My guide to estimating income for Dutch allowances helps you build a more useful estimate.
Assets are tested on one particular date
Savings can prevent a claim even when your income is low. For 2026, the asset limits are:
| Situation | Maximum counted assets on 1 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| No benefits partner | €146,011 |
| With a benefits partner | €184,633 combined |
If the assets that count were above the limit on that date, you cannot receive the child budget for that year. Spending some money later in the year does not change the starting date used for this test.
Savings and investments can count, including money held outside the Netherlands. The home you own and live in normally does not count. Some debts may be deducted under specific rules. Do not simply subtract every future bill from your bank balance.
Assets belonging to children under 18 can be included with their parents’ assets. There is also a special rule for having a benefits partner for only part of the year: that partner’s assets do not count towards your asset limit. Check the dates when your household has changed.
A benefits partner is a specific legal status
A parent without a benefits partner can receive an additional amount. This is sometimes described as the single-parent addition. Whether you qualify depends on the Dutch benefits partner rules, not just on how you divide the care or describe your relationship.
A spouse will usually be a benefits partner. Some unmarried couples also qualify, for example because of a shared child or a jointly owned home. An ordinary housemate is not automatically a benefits partner just because you share an address.
This can make a new household financially different from two separate households. Do not continue using the old child budget payment in your plan without checking the change. The guide to living together and Dutch tax and benefits explains the main distinctions.
Shared parenting does not simply split every benefit
Parents sharing the care of a child may be able to divide the child benefit payment. But splitting that payment does not automatically create two child budget claims for the same child. The identity of the child benefit applicant still matters.
With two or more children, co-parents can arrange for each parent to be the child benefit applicant for a different child. Each may then qualify for child budget for that child, depending on income, partner status and the other conditions.
This needs a proper arrangement with the SVB. Moving money between your own accounts does not change the registered applicant. Check the possible result for both households before changing the arrangement, and include any new partners in the relevant calculations.
International families need one extra check
If a parent works abroad, or a child lives in another country, family benefit rules can overlap. Countries may coordinate which system pays first and whether another system pays a difference. You should not assume that two countries will both pay their full ordinary amounts independently. When the Netherlands pays a supplement through the SVB, the child budget can be included in a combined quarterly payment instead of a separate monthly allowance.
Income earned abroad can also be relevant. A partner living outside the Netherlands should not simply be left out of the application. Tell the SVB and the benefits office about the actual living and working arrangements so the right cross-border rules can be applied.
Keep decisions from both countries together. If one payment changes, it may help explain a later change to another. This is especially useful during a move, when letters can arrive weeks apart and relate to different periods.
Check whether you need to apply
If you already receive another Dutch allowance, the benefits office may arrange the child budget automatically when you qualify. After a birth, processing can take time. Check for a decision rather than assuming that no immediate payment means no entitlement.
If you do not receive another allowance, you will generally need to apply yourself. Use Mijn toeslagen with DigiD. Applying through the government is free. Check the year, applicant, children, partner details and estimated income before submitting.
The normal deadline for a 2026 child budget application is 31 December 2027. Special cases, such as an extension for filing an income tax return, can allow more time. Keep a copy of the decision and read the details used in the calculation.
Payments during the year are advances. The final calculation can result in extra money or a repayment. Update your information when earnings or family circumstances change. An amount that continues to arrive in your bank account is not proof that it is still correct.
Turn an allowance into a useful family plan
Children’s spending rarely follows a tidy monthly pattern. A winter coat, sports membership and replacement bicycle can arrive close together. A steady benefit payment is more useful when some of it can wait for those larger costs.
Suppose you expect €960 a year for a selection of irregular clothing, school and activity costs. Setting aside €80 a month would cover that plan. This is an example of budgeting, not a child budget award. Your own costs and payment may be higher or lower.
Keep separate lines for quarterly child benefit, monthly child budget and any childcare allowance. That makes it easier to see what each payment must cover and avoids spending the same money twice in your plans.
If a move, shared parenting or changing income makes the claim difficult, I offer help with Dutch benefits and allowances. I review the relevant personal circumstances and expected income. The aim is to understand the support that fits your family now, instead of relying on a payment based on last year’s life.