Child benefits to be increased on 1 January 2024 and 1 April 2024
The child benefits of families with four or more children and the child benefit for children under 3 will be increased next year. The single-parent supplement to the child benefit will also be increased.
The parliament has approved the amendments to the Act on Child Benefits proposed by the government. Following the amendments, the rates of child benefits will be increased.
The rates of child benefits paid to families with four or more children will be increased starting from 1 January 2024. The amount of child benefit paid for a family’s fourth child will be increased by EUR 10, making the total amount EUR 173.24 per month. The amount of child benefit paid for the fifth child and each child after that will also be increased by EUR 10, the total standing at EUR 192.69 per month after the increase. Child benefit is paid for children under the age of 17.
The parliament decided to increase the single-parent supplement by EUR 10, making the total EUR 73.30 per month. In practice, the change starting from 1 January 2024 will be EUR 5, because the single-parent supplement was temporarily raised by EUR 5 for the year 2023. The single-parent supplement is paid for each child for which the parent receives child benefit. The supplement is available also if the parents have joint custody of their children. However, the single-parent supplement is not available to those who are married or living with their partner.
Rates of child benefit according to the number of children from 1 January 2024:
For the 1st child EUR 94.88 per month
For the 2nd child EUR 104.84 per month
For the 3rd child EUR 133.79 per month
For the 4th child EUR 173.24 per month
For the 5th child and each child after that EUR 192.69 per month
The single-parent supplement to the child benefit EUR 73.30 per month
The child benefit paid for children under three will be increased by EUR 26 from 1 April 2024. The increased child benefit is paid until the end of the month in which the child turns 3 years old.
If a family receives child benefits for several children under three, the amount of child benefit per month will be EUR 130.84 for the second child under three, EUR 159.79 for the third child, EUR 199.24 for the fourth child, and EUR 218.69 for each child after the fourth.
The amendments to the Act on Child Benefits approved by the parliament do not apply to child benefits paid in the Åland Islands. The amounts of child benefits in the Åland Islands are decided by the Government of Åland.
In 2022, Kela paid child benefits to 563,000 mothers and fathers for a total of over a million children. 125,000 of the parents received the single-parent supplement to the child benefit.
Kela will increase the child benefit amounts automatically next year, and customers do not have to do anything. The child benefit is paid on the 26th of every month. If the 26th is a Saturday, Sunday, Monday or a holiday, it is paid on the preceding banking day.
Additional information:
Government proposal HE 75/2023 vp (eduskunta.fi, in Finnish)
Rates of Kela benefits in EUR and income limits starting 1 January 2023