Child benefit at twice the basic rate
If you pay extra costs for your child because they live away from home, or because they have extensive care needs, you may qualify for child benefit at twice the basic rate.
Press ‘Continue’ to go to the next part of the explanation.
Is your child living at home or somewhere else?
To see whether you can get child benefit at twice the basic rate, we must first determine whether your child is living at home or somewhere else.
Under the Dutch child benefit scheme, a child is considered to be living away from home if they do not sleep at home for at least 4 nights a week.
Your child is still considered to be living at home if they:
- are on holiday or away for a few months on a trip
- stay in hospital for less than 6 months
- live somewhere else, but you or the other parent visits them for at least 46 days per quarter
Your child is considered to be living away from home if they:
- have been taken into care
- have gone into hospital for longer than 6 months
When can you get child benefit at twice the basic rate?
That depends on your child's situation.
When can you get child benefit at twice the basic rate?
Your child must be aged 3 or older, and under 18.
Your child must also have a positive opinion from the Care Needs Assessment Centre (CIZ). The CIZ assesses how much extra care your child needs. If they issue a positive opinion, you can get child benefit at twice the basic rate.
If you apply to the SVB for child benefit at twice the basic rate, the CIZ will send you a form. Their opinion will be based on the information you give.
When can you get child benefit at twice the basic rate?
This depends on what kind of education your child gets. You must also contribute at least €1,358 per quarter to your child's support.
When can you get child benefit at twice the basic rate?
You can get this if your child lives in an institution because of illness or a disability, and the costs of the institution are covered by:
- the Long-term Care Act (Wlz)
- the Youth Act (‘Jeugdwet’)
- your health insurance
If your child stays in hospital for longer than expected, you can get child benefit at twice the basic rate as from the time your child has been in hospital for more than 6 months. If it is clear from the beginning that your child's stay will last more than 6 months, you can get child benefit at twice the basic rate for the whole period.
When can you get child benefit at the basic rate?
If there is no mention of your child's situation, you cannot get child benefit at twice the basic rate. But you can still get child benefit at the basic rate.
You can get child benefit for a child living away from home if you contribute at least €512 per quarter to your child's support.
You must inform us if your child starts living away from home
If your child starts living away from home, you must let us know within 4 weeks. You can report this via My SVB.
If you live outside the Netherlands, you must let us know about the change within 6 weeks.
If you cannot report the change online via My SVB, please contact us.
How to apply
First, you should check whether you meet all the conditions
If you think you qualify for child benefit at twice the basic rate, please contact us to apply for it.
How to apply
Check first whether it is worth your while to submit an application. You can do so by answering a few questions.
If you need any further information, you can contact us.