The family benefits are a versed Allocation with the family S of at least two children within the framework of the État-providence with an aim Social or natalist. They come in complement from other possible measurements like a reduction from tax or a help to the Logement.

In France

The family benefits are distributed by the Allowance offices family to the natural persons who assume the effective and permanent load of at least two children. The families with child also profit, under certain conditions, of an abatement on the income tax, of an increase of the Prime for employment.

The calculation of the amount of the family benefits is done according to a monthly base of the family benefits being worth 361,37 € at January 1st, 2005. At January 1st, 2007, the allowance for two children was thus of 119,13 €, for three of 271,75 €, four of 424,37 additional € and 152,63 € for each following child.

These allowances are raised after a certain age of the children. For a child of more than 11 years, increase is of 33,51 € per month; it passes to 59,57 € for each older child of more than 16 years.

In Belgium

The family benefits belong to the " services familiales" (in particular including the allowance of birth, the premium of adoption, the allowances of orphan,…).

In theory, any child residing in Belgium can profit unconditionally from family benefits until August 31st of the year of his 18 years, or up to 21 years if he is recognized handicapped to at least 66%, or until its 25 years if he is student, apprentice or in training course of waiting of the unemployment benefits. However, in the majority of the cases, to have its residence in the European Economic space is sufficient.

A student loses his allowances if he works at least 240 hours the first, second and fourth quarters. There is no restriction for the third quarters (except if they are the last summer holidays - the child ceases the courses).

For the employee, the allowances are distributed by the Allowance office family of its employer (current or last) or the ONAFTS. The independent ones, in general, address to the Social insurance fund to which they are affiliated or, failing this, with INASTI.

In Swiss

In Swiss, each of the 26 canton S has its own system of family benefits. The amounts granted by child vary from 160 to 344 Swiss francs per month. For the young people in formation, these amounts vary from 170 to 444 Swiss francs per month. The family benefits are mainly the responsibility of the employers and their annual cost is estimated for 2006 at 4,079 billion francs.

A harmonization of the family benefits at the federal level was voted by the Parlement on March 24th, 2006, but it must still be accepted in popular voting on November 26th, 2006 to be able to come into effect, due to optional Référendum. This news Loi envisages a minimal allowance of 200 francs per child and 250 francs per young person in formation. The cantons remain free to envisage allowances higher than these amounts. The law standardizes moreover the conditions of granting of the allowances, strongly disparate from one canton to another.

See also: Family benefits in Switzerland

Origins and history

  • In 1916, Emile Romanet, engineer, on Christian woman-social sensitivity, decides to grant to the personnel of factory JOYA (Grenoble), the first family benefits.

  • In April 1918, the employers' federation of the manufacturers, mechanics, ironmongers and founders of Isere creates an allowance office family (also called equalization fund). This system will develop in other areas and one will count with beginning of the year 30 more than 200 equalization funds.

  • on October 27th, 1918, Emile Romanet declares in front of an assembly of the fraternal Union of the trade and industry of Lyon that " to prevent that, in an industry, the owner is not influenced in the choice of his Ouvrier S by the prospect for his dependants, considered to be excessive for him, the Trade union of the manufacturers (of Grenoble) decided to take responsibility for his the payment of the totality of the family benefits. A special case was established; it is fed by the industrialists in proportion to the number of workmen whom they occupy. It carries the name of equalization fund of the allowances and allowances of famille" (Leclerc, Philippe. The Social security, its history through the texts. Paris, 1996).

  • on March 11th 1932, the law Landry generalizes the family benefits for all the employees of industry and the trade having at least two children, the adhesion of the Employeur S with an equalization fund becoming obligatory. The amount of the Allocation S can vary according to the professional categories and of a department with the other and the intervention of the State is still limited (fixing of a departmental minimum rate, ministerial certification for each case).

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