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How are children taken into account for the employee's retirement?

Verified 06 September 2023 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)

You're a salaried employee and have children?

Your children are entitled to certain benefits when you retire.

Some benefits are stackable.

We present you the different devices.

If you have had (or adopted) one or more children, your children give you the right to additional quarters of free pension insurance (i.e. without contribution).

These additional quarters are called surcharges (of insurance duration) for children.

Every child born (or adopted as a minor) entitles to additional quarters for the following reasons:

  • 4 quarters shall be granted in return for theimpact on the working life of the maternity or care of an adopted child and the steps necessary for such reception. These quarters are called maternity surcharge or adoption surcharge.
  • And 4 quarters shall also be granted in return for theupbringing of the child for 4 years after birth or adoption. These quarters are called education increase.

These pension insurance quarters are granted differently depending on whether your children were born (or adopted) before 2010 or after 2010.

Reminder

Your number of quarters (of pension insurance) is taken into account when you retire to determine whether or not you are entitled to a full-rate pension.

For example, if you were born in 1963, you must have 170 quarters (42 years and 6 months) to qualify for a full-rate pension.

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Before 2010

The maternity or adoption premium and the education premium are automatically granted to the mother, who thus benefits from 8 additional quarters (2 years) of free pension insurance.

However, in certain specific situations, the education premium, and possibly the adoption premium, may be granted to the father:

  • In the event of the mother's death before the child reaches the age of majority, the father receives the education increase, and possibly the adoption increase, if he has raised the child during all or part of the 4 years following the birth or adoption.
  • If the father proves that he has raised the child alone for one or more years during the 4 years following birth or adoption, he receives a 1-quarter education increase for each year of education.
  • If the father is the only one designated on the adoption act or judgment, he shall receive the adoption surcharge. And if the 2 members of the couple appear on the adoption act or judgment, the adoptive father benefits from 1 quarter of education increase for each year of education if he proves that he raised the child alone.

Please note

The education supplement may be granted to the husband of the mother who raised the child as educating third party.

Details and supporting documents concerning the number of children born, adopted and raised must be provided when applying for retirement.

From 2010

The maternity surcharge of 4 quarters is automatically granted to the mother.

Concerning the education premium of 4 quarters, parents can choose, by mutual agreement:

  • Designate only one of them to benefit from this increase
  • Either to divide between them the education increase as follows: 2 quarters to the mother and 2 quarters to the father or 3 quarters to the mother and 1 quarter to the father

Parents must inform their parents of their choice, by means of the cerfa form n°51767, with their Carsat: titleContent within 6 months of 4e anniversary of the birth or adoption of the child.

Single application for personal basic pensions - General schemes (employees and self-employed), agricultural schemes (MSA), religious schemes (Cavimac)

In case of disagreement expressed by one or other of the parents within 6 months after 4e On the anniversary of the child's birth or adoption, the education supplement shall be granted to the parent who proves that he or she has borne the child's primary responsibility for the child's education for the longest period.

In the absence of evidence, 2 additional quarters of education are attributed to each parent.

If the parents do not express any choice within 6 months after the 4the On the anniversary of the birth or adoption of the child, the education supplement is automatically granted to the mother. When the two parents are of the same sex, the increase is shared by half between them.

The allocation of the education premium cannot be changed. It may, however, be imposed in the event of the death of a parent before the child reaches the age of majority. In this case, quarters are assigned to the surviving parent who actually raised the child.

Please note

The education supplement may be granted to a third person to whom the child has been entrusted by judgment or who has benefited from a total delegation of parental authority or who has been appointed guardian and who has effectively assumed the child's upbringing for 4 years from that decision.

Concerning the adoption surcharge of 4 quarters, parents can choose, by mutual agreement:

  • Designate only one of them to benefit from this increase
  • Either to divide between them the adoption increase as follows: 2 quarters to the mother and 2 quarters to the father or 3 quarters to the mother and 1 quarter to the father

Parents must inform their parents of their choice, by means of the cerfa form n°51767, with their Carsat: titleContent within 6 months of 4e anniversary of the adoption of the child.

Single application for personal basic pensions - General schemes (employees and self-employed), agricultural schemes (MSA), religious schemes (Cavimac)

In case of disagreement expressed by one or other of the parents within 6 months after 4e On the anniversary of the adoption of the child, the adoption surcharge is granted to the parent who proves that he or she has assumed primary responsibility for the child's care and for the pre-adoption procedures.

In the absence of evidence, 2 additional quarters of education are attributed to each parent.

If the parents do not express any choice within 6 months after the 4the On the anniversary of the adoption of the child, the adoption surcharge is automatically granted to the mother. When the two parents are of the same sex, the increase is shared by half between them.

The allocation of the adoption surcharge may not be altered, except in the event of the death of a parent before the child reaches the age of majority. In this case, quarters are assigned to the surviving parent who actually raised the child.

If you have temporarily ceased your activity as part of parental education leave, you are entitled to an increase in your pension insurance period equal to the duration of your parental leave.

That is, you are entitled to additional quarters of pension insurance free of charge (without any contribution in return).

Reminder

Your number of quarters (of pension insurance) is taken into account when you retire to determine whether or not you are entitled to a full-rate pension.

For example, if you were born in 1963, you must have 170 quarters (42 years and 6 months) to qualify for a full-rate pension.

Periods you have spent on parental leave are considered from date to date. A quarter is posted at the end of each 90-day period. The number of quarters is rounded up.

This increase in your period of parental leave pension insurance cannot be combined with maternity or adoption and education increases. It is granted only if it is more favorable to you than maternity or adoption and education increases.

Warning  

Parental leave during which the professional activity is carried out part-time does not give rise to any increase in the duration of pension insurance.

To benefit from this increase in your insurance period, you must send your Carsat: titleContent a certificate, issued by your employer, specifying the start and end dates of your parental leave.

You can submit this certificate as soon as your parental leave is over.

If you have taken more than one parental leave during your career, you can benefit from the increase in your pension insurance duration for each parental leave.

If you are raising or have raised a disabled child under the age of 20, you are entitled to 1 free supplementary pension insurance term (i.e. without contribution) per 30-month period of education.

This allows you to benefit from up to 8 quarters.

This increase in the duration of pension insurance for disabled children may be combined with maternity or adoption and education increases or the increase for parental leave.

Reminder

Your number of quarters (of pension insurance) is taken into account when you retire to determine whether or not you are entitled to a full-rate pension.

For example, if you were born in 1963, you must have 170 quarters (42 years and 6 months) to qualify for a full-rate pension.

If you have at least 1 free additional pension insurance term for disabled children, you have right to a full-rate pension at age 65 regardless of your total number of quarters.

You are also entitled to a full pension at age 65, regardless of the total number of quarters you have spent, if you have provided effective assistance to your child receiving human assistance from the PCH, for at least 30 consecutive months, as an employee or as a family caregiver.

What are the conditions to be met?

Your child should have a disability rate of 80% which entitles him to:

  • Education allowance for disabled children (AEEH) and its supplement
  • Or AEEH and Disability Compensation Benefit (PCH)

You don't have to be related to the child.

How do I get the disabled child supplement?

The increase in the duration of insurance is granted to the person who receives the AEEH and its supplement or the PCH.

It shall also be granted to any person who assumes or has assumed the actual and permanent care of the child, without being the beneficiary of the allowances (spouse, grandparent, etc.).

The details and supporting documents giving you the right to the increase in the duration of insurance for disabled children are to be provided when you apply for your pension.

Your Carsat: titleContent will contact you to ask for the necessary proof depending on whether you collect the AEEH and its supplement or the PCH or not.

If you have had at least 3 children, the amount of your Retirement Insurance pension is increased by 10%.

The children that are considered are the children you had and the children who were at your charge or at the expense of your spouse and who you raised for at least 9 years before their 16th birthday.

Please note

If you have overvaluation, the increase of 10% is calculated on the total amount of your retirement pension (including premium).

Details and supporting documents entitling you to the increase in the amount of your retirement pension are to be provided when you apply for your retirement pension.

Your Carsat: titleContent will contact you to ask for the necessary proof depending on whether you have a relationship of filiation with the children or not.

If you are a stay-at-home parent with no work or if you reduce or stop your work to raise or care for one or more children, you can, if you meet certain conditions, be insured free of charge with the Social Security Pension Insurance (without contributions from you).

These periods can therefore be taken into account in the calculation of your pension insurance period, which is used to determine, when you retire, whether or not you are entitled to a full-rate pension.

This device is called old-age insurance for stay-at-home parents (AVPF).

Please note

The periods concerned must not have already led to an increase in your period of insurance for parental leave.

Eligibility for free Social Security Pension Insurance varies under the following conditions until 30 August 2023:

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You are a single parent with no activity

You are a member of the AVPF free of charge if you meet the following conditions:

You are a non-working stay-at-home parent and live as a couple

You have at least 1 child under 3 years of age

You are a member of the AVPF free of charge if you meet the following conditions:

You have at least 3 children

You are a member of the AVPF free of charge if you meet the following conditions:

  • You see the family supplement
  • Your household's resources are below the limit of resources required to qualify for the family supplement

You are working part-time

You receive the basic allowance for the Early Childhood Care Benefit (ECEC)

You are also a free AVPF member if you meet the following conditions:

  • You have at least 1 child under 3 years of age
  • Your household's resources are below the resource limit required to qualify for Back-to-school allowance (RSA)
  • Your 2021 own revenues from part-time work are less than €4,978
You're getting the family supplement

You are also a free AVPF member if you meet the following conditions:

  • You have at least 3 children
  • Your household's resources are below the resource limit required to qualify for the family supplement
  • Your 2021 own revenues from part-time work are less than €4,978
You are receiving the shared child education benefit (PreParE)

You are a member of the AVPF free of charge if you meet the following conditions:

  • You have at least 2 dependent children
  • Your household's resources are below the resource limit required to qualify for the family supplement
  • Your net employment income from social security contributions from your part-time activity during the period of receipt of PreParE is less than €27,714.96
You are a member of AVPF free of charge if you are:
  • You perceive the daily parental attendance allowance
  • You're in caregiving leave
  • You have no professional activity or only a part-time activity and you have a disabled child under 20 years of age with a permanent disability of at least 80% who is not admitted to a boarding school
What should be done?

You do not have to make any steps to benefit from AVPF membership. Your Caf: titleContent automatically affiliates you.

However, if you are on compassionate care leave and do not receive the compassionate care benefit, you must ask your CFOC for the form to fill in.

Who shall I contact

You are entitled to an increase in your retirement pension, called parental benefit, if you have reached the age of 63 number of quarters required to be entitled to a full rate pension.

The parental allowance will thus be granted to employees born in 1965 or later for whom the minimum statutory retirement age is over 63.

You must also have at least 1 quarter of free pension insurance (i.e. no contribution in return) for one of the following reasons:

  • You have had or adopted one or more children
  • Or you are raising or have raised a disabled child under the age of 20
  • Or you have temporarily ceased your professional activity as part of parental education leave

If you meet these 3 conditions, your retirement pension is increased by 1.25% for each quarter over the age of 63.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • For further information

    Pension insurance - 39 60

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