Child
Benefit
Payments for Children
Child Benefit (previously called Children’s Allowance) is the most common payment to families with children. It is paid to parents or guardians of children under the age of 16, or a child aged 16 or 17 who is in full-time education, or attends a FÁS Youth reach course, or is physically or mentally disabled, and depends on you. Child Benefit stops when your child reaches age 18. This money is paid once a month. You can choose to have the payment paid directly into your bank account or to collect it from your local post office.
When should I apply?
You need to apply for Child Benefit within 12 months of:
You must register the baby
If your baby is born in Ireland, you must register their birth.
You can register your child’s birth in:
EU regulations
If you are an EU/EEA citizen or Swiss national working in Ireland, you qualify for Child Benefit.
Non-EU/EEA citizens
Non-EU/EEA citizens must be ‘habitually resident’ in Ireland to quality for Child Benefit. If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen and legally working in this State, you may qualify for Child Benefit if your child is also resident here.
What is the EEA?
The European Economic Area (EEA) unites the 25 EU Member States and the three EEA EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) into an Internal Market governed by the same basic rules.
How to apply
All forms are available on the website www.welfare.ie or your local Citizens Information Centre office, www.citizensinformation.ie. You may be waiting for up to 12 months for your claim to be processed.
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme provides a free year of early childhood care and education for children of pre-school age. In general, children are eligible for the ECCE scheme if they are aged over 3 years 2 months and less than 4 years 7 months on 1 September of the year that they will be starting.
Payments for Children
Child Benefit (previously called Children’s Allowance) is the most common payment to families with children. It is paid to parents or guardians of children under the age of 16, or a child aged 16 or 17 who is in full-time education, or attends a FÁS Youth reach course, or is physically or mentally disabled, and depends on you. Child Benefit stops when your child reaches age 18. This money is paid once a month. You can choose to have the payment paid directly into your bank account or to collect it from your local post office.
When should I apply?
You need to apply for Child Benefit within 12 months of:
- when your baby is born;
- the month the child became a member of your family (for example, if you adopted a child); or
- the month your family came to live in Ireland.
You must register the baby
If your baby is born in Ireland, you must register their birth.
You can register your child’s birth in:
- the hospital where they are born;
- the Civil Registration Office, St. Camillus’ Hospital, Shelbourne Road, Limerick – phone: (061) 483 763.
EU regulations
If you are an EU/EEA citizen or Swiss national working in Ireland, you qualify for Child Benefit.
Non-EU/EEA citizens
Non-EU/EEA citizens must be ‘habitually resident’ in Ireland to quality for Child Benefit. If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen and legally working in this State, you may qualify for Child Benefit if your child is also resident here.
What is the EEA?
The European Economic Area (EEA) unites the 25 EU Member States and the three EEA EFTA States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway) into an Internal Market governed by the same basic rules.
How to apply
All forms are available on the website www.welfare.ie or your local Citizens Information Centre office, www.citizensinformation.ie. You may be waiting for up to 12 months for your claim to be processed.
Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Scheme provides a free year of early childhood care and education for children of pre-school age. In general, children are eligible for the ECCE scheme if they are aged over 3 years 2 months and less than 4 years 7 months on 1 September of the year that they will be starting.