How to get kindgebonden budget in NL

Kindgebonden budget is a monthly contribution from Dienst Toeslagen towards the cost of children under 18. It is separate from quarterly kinderbijslag from the SVB and from childcare allowance. The confusing part is that some households receive it automatically while others have to apply. This guide helps you identify the right parent, check the conditions, decide which route applies and keep the advance accurate.

Know which parent has the kinderbijslag in their name at the SVB. Have a realistic estimate of your annual income and, if you have a toeslagpartner, your partner's income. If your household already receives zorgtoeslag, huurtoeslag or childcare allowance, check your existing Mijn toeslagen account before starting a new application.

The main decision is whether Dienst Toeslagen already has another allowance relationship with your household.

• You already receive zorgtoeslag, huurtoeslag or childcare allowance

  You normally do not submit a separate kindgebonden-budget application. Dienst Toeslagen checks whether you qualify and sends a notice if it awards the budget. If you expected a notice and none arrives, do not wait indefinitely: check Mijn toeslagen and apply yourself if necessary.

• You receive none of those three allowances

  If you meet the kindgebonden-budget conditions, you have to apply yourself in Mijn toeslagen. Kinderbijslag on its own does not make a manual application unnecessary.

• You are co-parents

  The SVB position matters because the parent who is the kinderbijslag applicant is normally the person linked to kindgebonden budget. Co-parents can have choices about who is the kinderbijslag applicant, especially when there is more than one child. Use the SVB co-parenting route before changing anything.

• A parent or child lives abroad, or you are not Dutch

  Extra residence-status, foreign-family-benefit and sometimes woonlandfactor rules can apply. Use the dedicated Dienst Toeslagen pages rather than assuming the domestic route applies unchanged.

1. 1

   Confirm which parent is linked to kinderbijslag

   Kindgebonden budget is normally tied to the parent who has the kinderbijslag in their name at the SVB. That matters before you apply, especially after separation or with co-parenting.

   Do this: Check in Mijn SVB or your SVB correspondence which parent is the kinderbijslag applicant before you continue.

   Documents needed

   • Your latest SVB child-benefit letter or Mijn SVB details

   Processing time

   Do this before starting a manual kindgebonden-budget application.

   Common mistake: Do not assume the lower-income parent automatically receives kindgebonden budget. Applicant identity follows the SVB child-benefit position, with separate co-parenting rules.

   Official source

   SVB · How kinderbijslag connects to kindgebonden budget
2. 2

   Check the current conditions

   You normally need a child under 18, the relevant kinderbijslag position, household income below the applicable level and assets below the current limit. Extra rules can apply for some 16- and 17-year-olds and for international households.

   Do this: Open the current Dienst Toeslagen conditions page and check the child, income, assets and household rules against your own situation.

   Documents needed

   • Your current household and partner details

   Processing time

   Check the conditions for the year you want to claim.

   Common mistake: There is no single durable income ceiling for every family. The calculation depends on your household, so do not use a threshold copied from someone else's situation.

   Official source

   Dienst Toeslagen · Conditions for kindgebonden budget
3. 3

   Make an official proefberekening

   The amount depends on your income, whether you have a toeslagpartner, how many children you have and their ages. Single-parent households can receive an additional amount, and the calculation can change when a child turns 12 or 16.

   Do this: Use the official proefberekening with realistic annual income estimates for you and your toeslagpartner, if you have one.

   Documents needed

   • Your annual income estimate
   • Your toeslagpartner's annual income estimate, if applicable

   Processing time

   Do this before deciding whether an application is worth making or before relying on an expected automatic award.

   Common mistake: Treat the result as an estimate. The final entitlement is based on the actual data Dienst Toeslagen later uses.

   Official source

   Dienst Toeslagen · How the amount is calculated and where to make a proefberekening
4. 4

   Decide whether to wait for an automatic award or apply yourself

   If you already receive zorgtoeslag, huurtoeslag or childcare allowance, you normally do not need a separate kindgebonden-budget application. If you receive none of those three allowances, you need to apply yourself when eligible.

   Do this: Check your current Mijn toeslagen account. If you already receive one of the three other allowances, look for the kindgebonden-budget notice. If you receive none of them, move to a manual application.

   Documents needed

   • Your Mijn toeslagen overview

   Processing time

   Check as soon as kinderbijslag starts or you think you may qualify.

   Common mistake: Do not wait indefinitely for an automatic letter. SVB says that if an expected notice has not arrived after 8 weeks following a birth and you think you qualify, apply yourself.

   Official source

   Dienst Toeslagen · When a separate kindgebonden-budget application is or is not needed
5. 5

   Apply in Mijn toeslagen when a manual application is needed

   The parent linked to the kinderbijslag applies in Mijn toeslagen. You enter the requested household and annual income information and submit the application online.

   Do this: Log in to Mijn toeslagen with DigiD, choose Kindgebonden budget, complete the questions and send the application.

   Documents needed

   • DigiD
   • Your annual income estimate
   • Your toeslagpartner's annual income estimate, if applicable

   Processing time

   A manual application usually takes one online session once your income estimates are ready.

   Common mistake: Check that the applicant matches the SVB kinderbijslag position before submitting. A mismatch can send the household down the wrong route.

   Official source

   Dienst Toeslagen · How to apply for kindgebonden budget in Mijn toeslagen
6. 6

   Check the decision and the monthly advance

   After a manual application, Dienst Toeslagen usually sends a decision within 5 weeks. Check the household data and income estimate used in the calculation rather than treating the first monthly amount as final.

   Do this: Read the decision and compare the children, partner status, income estimate and amount with your current situation. Check the Berichtenbox as well as the post.

   Documents needed

   • The decision from Dienst Toeslagen

   Processing time

   Usually within 5 weeks after a manual application.

   Common mistake: The monthly payment is an advance. If the data behind it changes, the final calculation can produce an extra payment or a repayment.

   Official source

   Dienst Toeslagen · Application confirmation and the usual decision timing
7. 7

   Report changes and check whether you missed an earlier year

   Income, partner and household changes can alter the advance, so keep Mijn toeslagen current. If you were eligible in an earlier year but never received kindgebonden budget, you may still be able to apply retrospectively before the official deadline.

   Do this: Update relevant changes in Mijn toeslagen promptly, and check the official application-deadline page for any earlier year you may have missed.

   Processing time

   Report relevant changes as soon as possible. Dienst Toeslagen generally asks for life changes within 4 weeks; earlier-year claims normally stay open through 31 December of the following year.

   Common mistake: Do not keep receiving an advance based on an old income or partner situation just because the payment still arrives. Outdated data can become a repayment later.

   Official source

   Dienst Toeslagen · Reporting changes that affect an allowance

• DigiD to log in to Mijn toeslagen
• Your annual income estimate for the calendar year
• Your toeslagpartner's annual income estimate, if you have one
• Details showing which parent has the kinderbijslag in their name at the SVB

Check the route as soon as kinderbijslag starts or you think you may qualify. If you apply manually, Dienst Toeslagen usually sends a decision within 5 weeks. If you already receive another allowance, SVB says a kindgebonden-budget letter normally follows within 8 weeks after a birth when you qualify; if it does not, check and apply rather than waiting.

Requirements depend on your situation. Check the latest requirements with the relevant authority.

• Assuming kindgebonden budget is always automatic. Automatic handling depends on whether the household already receives zorgtoeslag, huurtoeslag or childcare allowance.
• Assuming kinderbijslag alone proves entitlement. Income, assets and household conditions still matter.
• Applying under the wrong parent. The parent who has the kinderbijslag in their name at the SVB is normally the person who must be linked to kindgebonden budget.
• Using a generic income ceiling from another household. The calculation depends on family composition, number and ages of children and partner status, so use the official proefberekening.
• Ignoring changes in income or partner status after the advance starts. A provisional amount based on outdated information can become a repayment later.

• Use the official proefberekening to compare your current household data with the amount in Mijn toeslagen.
• Read the decision and check the income estimate, toeslagpartner, children and start month used in the calculation.
• Update income and household changes promptly in Mijn toeslagen so the monthly advance stays close to the final entitlement.
• If you may have missed an earlier year, check the official application deadline before assuming the entitlement is lost.