Flanders Ends School Bonus for 1.1 Million Children

Parents of approximately 1.1 million Flemish children will no longer receive the school bonus this year, as the regional government phases out the education-related financial benefit for families who do not qualify for a social allowance. The change, part of a broader budget agreement aimed at saving €1.5 billion, means only about 530,000 children from low-income families will still receive the payment, according to VRT NWS.

What Is the School Bonus?

The school bonus is an annual extra payment within the Flemish Groeipakket, the regional child benefit system that replaced the federal system in January 2019. Until last year, every child automatically received the bonus when there was a right to child benefit in July. The payment, which ranges from €23.07 for children aged 0-4 to €69.22 for those aged 18-24, is normally disbursed in August before the start of the new school year.

According to the official Flemish government website, the bonus is now only paid to families who had a right to a social allowance in July. Parents do not need to apply - eligible families receive the payment automatically.

The school bonus is distinct from the school allowance (schooltoeslag), a higher premium based on family income and enrollment in a recognized school, which is not being abolished.

Budget Context

The measure is part of the Flemish budget agreement concluded in September 2025, which aims to save €1.5 billion so the regional government can balance its books by 2027. The budget deficit for 2026 was estimated at €4.2 billion without additional interventions. Restricting the school bonus saves approximately €50 million per year.

The savings come alongside other measures affecting family finances, including an increased care premium (from €64 to €100 per year), the phasing out of the preschool allowance, and stricter conditions for study grants. As Let’s Consult notes, the care premium increase alone raises €135 million extra for the government.

Who Is Affected?

Last year, the school bonus went to more than 1.63 million children in Flanders. This year, only families receiving a social allowance through the Groeipakket qualify. For families with one or two children, the threshold for the full social allowance is €40,701.59 gross per year, with reduced allowances available up to €47,485.19. For families with three or more children, the upper limit can reach €76,560.64.

However, the eligibility calculation runs two years behind reality. This year, the tax assessment based on 2024 income is used, meaning families who lost work or income since then may still appear above the threshold on paper and therefore lose the school bonus. An “alarm bell procedure” exists for such situations, allowing families who can demonstrate their household income was below the threshold for at least six consecutive months to file a request with their Groeipakket payer.

Family Organizations React

The Gezinsbond, Flanders’ largest family association, has strongly criticized the measure. “September is a very expensive month for families,” spokesperson Lien Swinnen said on Radio 1. “All those so-called small amounts do make a big difference,” she added, according to Gazet van Antwerpen.

Gezinsbond director Jeroen Sleurs calculated that a family with two young children loses €930.76 in purchasing power per year due to the cumulative effect of the school bonus cut, the increased care premium, and other measures. “Now that the Groeipakket is finally indexed, that same family loses another €80.76 per year due to the loss of the school bonus,” Sleurs said in a press release. “So the Groeipakket is again a shrinking package.”

About four out of ten families really have to puzzle to make ends meet, according to Sleurs, as reported by Redactie24.

Government Defense

Flemish Minister of Welfare and Poverty Reduction Caroline Gennez (Vooruit) defends the measure, arguing that the most vulnerable families are protected. “We keep the purchasing power of people who are financially struggling at level, we must strengthen it,” Gennez said. “Child benefit is being indexed again for the first time in a long time, just like the social allowances. We also spare people with limited income; they keep a school bonus, their care premium is not increased.”

The opposition Vlaams Belang has also condemned the cuts. “While the quality of our education is declining and many families are finding it increasingly difficult to pay school bills, support measures for families are being cut,” said MP Roosmarijn Beckers, according to the party’s website.

Broader Implications

The school bonus was designed to help families with the costs of the start of the school year, traditionally an expensive month. In preschool and primary education, a maximum invoice caps costs at €55 for preschoolers and €110 for primary school students. In secondary education, however, no such ceiling exists, with Gezinsbond research putting costs at approximately €1,400 per year in the first grade and €1,800 in the third grade.

The abolition of the school bonus also removes a sanctioning instrument previously used by Education Minister Zuhal Demir (N-VA) to penalize parents who did not comply with certain obligations, such as learning Dutch. As Knack reported, the government now points to the school allowance as the alternative instrument for such sanctions.

What to Watch For

As families receive their August payments this week, the full impact of the change will become visible. Questions remain about how many families will successfully use the alarm bell procedure, whether the measure will be reconsidered if the budget situation improves, and what the long-term effect will be on family purchasing power and child poverty in Flanders.

For families affected by the change, the Parentia and Liberale Mutualiteit websites provide information about the Groeipakket system and eligibility criteria.