Some 130,037 children in Brussels received a social allowance last year; they comprised 42.1% of the 308,815 children covered by child benefits, according to figures from Iriscare.
However, these numbers could be revised upward after tax-data processing, notes the public authority, which manages child benefits in the capital region. Final figures will only be available after tax data processing in 2026: this involves information about household taxable income automatically transmitted to Iriscare by the Finance Department.
For instance, provisional data for 2022 suggested that 310,288 children received child benefits in Brussels, including 136,149 (43.88%) who also received a social allowance. Two years later, after the processing of tax data, final figures revealed that 191,945 children (62.18%) qualified for a social allowance out of 308,670 who received child benefits.
This indicates an 18.30% increase in Brussels children benefiting from a social allowance in 2022, compared to 14.6% in 2020 and 14.9% in 2021, following the processing of tax data.
This mechanism helps identify children whose parents have not declared income but who meet the criteria for a social allowance.
In Brussels, besides basic child benefits, some families are entitled to social allowances based on household composition and annual gross taxable income, provided the amount is below €39,792.84 or €57,763.80 (figures applicable from 1 February 2025).
Since November 2023, eligibility for social allowances also considers the total cadastral income.
