The payment of the third installment of the child benefit A21 is expected to be disbursed on Thursday, July 31st. However, until the clearance process for the payment of the 3rd bi-monthly installment of 2025 is completed, the electronic application platform remains temporarily closed. At the same time, changes to income and asset criteria bring new developments for beneficiaries. As estimated, a significant number of families risk being excluded from the benefit, as the new, stricter limits may lead to the loss of eligibility for many of the current beneficiaries. The final regulations are expected to be finalized within the coming months.
Read: Child benefit: A21 platform closes – What to watch before submitting your application
Child benefit A21: Third installment payment on Thursday, July 31st
The third installment of the child benefit A21 will be paid within the month, specifically on Thursday, July 31st. It should be noted that the electronic platform does not accept new applications until the clearance of the payment of the 3rd bi-monthly installment for 2025 is completed. The child benefit A21 is calculated based on the dependent children declared in the A21 of the year 2025 and according to the latest cleared tax return.
However, in order for beneficiaries to know the correct amount of their benefit for the year 2025 and to avoid accumulation of unduly paid amounts, it is recommended to submit an income tax return-E1 for the current year (2024 income). The payment of the child benefit installment that will be made after the deadline for submitting the current year’s E1 expires will include only those applicants who have submitted the current year’s tax return.
What changes for beneficiaries – Who gets cut off
It should be noted, however, that quite a few are those who will lose the child benefit A21, with the changes coming to the criteria. This means that many of the current beneficiaries will lose the benefit they receive due to new income or asset criteria. Specifically for the child benefit, the second and third income brackets are being merged. Additionally:
- The amount of the third bracket increases from €28 to €45 per child.
- For the third child and beyond, the enhancement doubles from €90 to €180.
For example:
1 child: from €28 to €45
2 children: from €56 to €90
3 children: from €112 to €180
4 children: from €168 to €270.
Thus, the most favored are the beneficiaries who fall into the second and third income bracket of the child benefit, provided of course they will meet the asset criteria for movable and immovable property and deposits that will be established. However, to determine the beneficiary of each benefit, specific criteria are being examined for the first time. Regarding the granting of the child benefit, it is determined for a family with two children that the value of real estate property should be €220,000, while for cars the limit will be set for vehicles above 1,600 cubic capacity (possibly even larger displacement) taking into account age, as well as the number of children.
