Child benefit A21 – Application: When the platform opens

The A-21 platform will open at 8 am on Friday (29/11) for new applications for child benefits, the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family, and the OPEKA announced

The recipients of the Child Benefit can submit their application on the platform of HICC, or through the website, opeka.gr using their passwords on Taxisnet.

To complete the application, the application must be finally submitted and approved.

An application that has been temporarily stored is considered unsubmitted and will not be considered.

The beneficiaries of the Child Benefit are:

a) Greek citizens

b) homogeneous foreigners who have a homogeneous card

c) citizens of EU member states

d) citizens of countries belonging to the European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and Swiss citizens

ε) Recognized refugees permanently residing in Greece, whose residence status is governed by the provisions of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, as amended by the 1967 New York Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees.

f) stateless persons whose status of residence in Greece is governed by the provisions of the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.

g) beneficiaries of humanitarian status

h) citizens of other states

How can I apply for child benefit?

The application is submitted electronically each year by the obligor or the spouse or cohabiting partner of the obligor filing an income tax return.

You can access the OPEKA application with your TaxisNet credentials by clicking on the link and following the instructions. Upon entering the system, you will be asked to confirm the AMKA and consent to the processing of the data required, i.e. your own, your spouse’s or partner’s data, and that of your dependent children.

After logging in, a form will appear where you will need to select your current marital status. Married and separated persons will need to enter their spouse’s VAT and social security number. Please read the text regarding the Child Benefit Consent carefully and click [Consent] (to start completing and submitting the A21 Child Benefit application form).

The Child Benefit application form will contain your pre-populated personal details and family composition. Some of the fields in the application will need to be completed by you, such as identification, address and contact details, and the IBAN in which you are a beneficiary or co-beneficiary for the payment of the benefit.

Documents for child benefit

a) Certificate(s) of family status from the municipality in whose municipal register all family members are registered.

b) Certificate of studies for children, who after the completion of their 18th year of age attend Secondary Education, a higher or higher educational institution in Greece or a recognized foreign institution, as well as Institutes of Vocational Training (IEK) or Colleges or the Post-secondary Year – Apprenticeship Class of the National School of Education.

c) Medical certificate of the Disability Certification Centres (KE.P.A.) or a decision of the Health Committee of IKA or the Supreme Health Committees of the Army (ASYE), Navy (ANYE), Air Force (AAYE) and the Greek Police, as well as the Welfare Health Committees for a dependent child who has reached the age of 18, but not 24, is not a student and has a disability rate of 67% or more. These documents must be current at the time of the A21 application submission and must show the duration of the disability.

d) If one of the cases referred to in paragraph 3 of Article 20 of this Regulation applies, a copy of the beneficiary’s death certificate or a court decision on the beneficiary’s intestacy or judicial support or an irrevocable court decision on the beneficiary’s conviction or a court decision awarding guardianship to a natural person or any evidence showing the person who has taken custody of the children.

2. In addition to the above, a certified photocopy of one of the following documents shall be submitted, if required, by category of beneficiary:

a) Certificate of registration of a citizen of the European Union or a document certifying permanent residence for a citizen of a member state of the European Union.

b) Special Identity Card

c) Residence Permit, for a citizen of a country belonging to the European Economic Area, for a citizen of Switzerland, as well as for a citizen of another state (except the above and the European Union) permanently residing in Greece or a certificate of submission of a request for its renewal.

d) Residence permit of a Beneficiary of International Protection marked “Refugee” or “Subsidiary Protection”.

e) Residence permit for humanitarian reasons.

f) Community form for time of residence in an EU country or an electronically structured document – SED of the electronic exchange of information on social security – EESSI – or a copy of the income tax return for the year(s) of the five years of residence in an EU country.

For any of the above documents, a validity period is foreseen, they must be valid at the time of application.

3. In the case of beneficiaries of foreign nationality or stateless persons, the documents referred to in subparagraphs (a) and (d) of para. 1 shall be provided by the authorities of the country of which they are nationals, and if this is not possible, these elements shall be proved by other appropriate documents, at the discretion of the body recognizing the right, e.g. birth certificates of children.

4. The body responsible for awarding benefits may set a two (2) month deadline for the person concerned to submit any additional supporting documents requested electronically and/or in writing. In case the deadline has expired without action, the competent body shall examine the case on the basis of the supporting documents on file.

5. If it is found that, after final submission and processing, the application is found to have been approved by mistake or technical failure without meeting the requirements outlined in this Regulation, the act of approval shall be revoked at any time. The reasons for the revocation shall be stated in the revocation decision issued by the competent body of the O.P.E.K.A.

6. An electronic and/or physical record of files and supporting documents is kept at the O.P.E.K.A.

Who are considered dependent children for child benefit

Dependent children are considered:

(a) Unmarried children by marriage, natural, adopted, or recognized, who are not more than 18 years of age or 19 years of age if they are in secondary education. In the case of a dependent child who satisfies the conditions for compulsory education, the allowance is granted on condition, on the one hand, that the child is enrolled in school for the current school year and, on the other hand, that the child has attended school sufficiently for the immediately preceding school year. The latter is deemed to be the case when the dependent child is not required to repeat the same class due to the number of unexcused absences.

b) Children who have attained the age of 18, if they are attending a higher education institution or TEI or a recognized college or a public or private IEK or the Post-secondary Year – Apprenticeship Class. The allowances are paid only during the period of study and in no case beyond the end of the year in which they reach the age of 24. Higher or higher education includes public schools of higher or higher education (military, police, navy, merchant navy, etc.), as well as recognized institutions abroad.

c) Children with a disability rate of 67% or more, until the end of the year in which they reach the age of 24.

What to look out for in respect of dependent children

There are special cases of dependent children. As long as they meet the age limits set out in para. 1 of this article, dependent children are considered:

(a) Children from a previous marriage of one or both spouses, in the case of married couples if the applicant/dependent or his/her spouse has custody of the children by court order. In the case of adult children, if they have the main or sole responsibility for their maintenance, which is confirmed by a solemn declaration of the childbearing his/her signature.

b) The children of an unmarried father, if the applicant/responsible unmarried father has acknowledged them by court decision or notarial deed and has custody by court decision.

c) The children of separated spouses, provided that the applicant parent has custody of the children by court decision or notarial act or private agreement or a solemn declaration of the other parent bearing his/her authentic signature. In the case of adult children, if he or she has the primary or sole responsibility for the maintenance of the children, which is confirmed by a solemn declaration of the childbearing his or her authentic signature.

When do I become entitled to the allowance?
1. The right to receive the allowance applies:

(a) From 1 January of the year of application, for children born up to 31 December of the previous year of application.

b) From the 1st of the month following that of their birth, for children born within the year of application.

c) From 1 January of the following year of enrolment in a school of Higher or Higher Education in Greece or a recognized institution abroad, in the “Post-secondary year – Apprenticeship class” of Vocational Lyceums (EPAL), in Vocational Training Institutes (IEK), as well as in recognized Colleges.

(d) As of January 1 of the current year for students or pupils who, after their initial enrollment in a school in the previous year, transferred to another school or department in the current year or were admitted to a new school or department with a new enrollment. The allowance is also payable for a transitional period (forced break) of up to three months between the end of a spring semester and the start of a new semester in the current year in which the student continues to study or intern or enrolls in a subsequent course of study.

ε) From the 1st of the month following that in which the disability occurs for children with a disability rate of 67% or more.

2. The allowance shall be paid to beneficiaries each year, on a bimonthly basis, by crediting an active bank account of the beneficiary on the last working day of the month of payment. In particular, the allowance for the first two months of each year may be paid to beneficiaries until 31 December of that year. In this case, a supplementary payment of the fifth quarter may be made until 28 February of the following year.

3. The amount of the allowance for the first two months of each year is calculated based on the categories of equivalent family income of article 214 of Law 4512/2018 (Government Gazette A΄5), the number of dependent children, and the data of the last cleared income tax return of the previous year. After the submission of the current year’s tax return or an amending tax return, the amount of the allowance is recalculated based on income. If the beneficiary received a different amount of allowance than the amount to which he/she is entitled, it is automatically offset against the amount of the subsequent payments.

Payment of child benefits is suspended;

1. Payment of the allowance is suspended:

(a) If the OPEB receives evidence from which there are serious indications that the benefit was granted without fulfilling the legal requirements, and also when legal proceedings relating to the entitlement in question are pending. The allowance shall be reinstated from the date of suspension if it is established, following an investigation, that the conditions for granting the allowance have been met and if a final judgment has been given in favor of the recipient. In the event of a final court decision against the beneficiary, the allowance shall be refunded from the date on which it was granted.

b) On the 1st of the month following the month in which the beneficiary or dependent child was removed from Greece for more than three months.

c) The 1st of the month following the month in which the dependent child is cared for in a Social Care Unit (e.g. Child Protection Centre) or another legal entity under public or private law, free of charge or at the expense of the State or an Insurance Organisation.
2. Submitted A21 application with attached supporting documents may be put on hold, before the payment of the benefit, until the attached documents are checked by authorized users of the O.P.E.C.A.

3. Payment of the allowance shall not be suspended in the following cases:

a) If the beneficiary or the dependent child is removed from Greece and the absence is due to reasons of hospitalization in treatment facilities.

b) If the beneficiary is employed abroad in a job for the Greek State or a Greek NGO or a Greek bank or organization or other Greek enterprises based in Greece or the dependent child followed his/her family abroad, which is absent for the above reasons or if the absence is due to the children’s studies in higher or higher schools abroad.

c) If the beneficiary mother and dependent children are accommodated in centers for battered women.

Payment of the allowance is discontinued?

Yes, it is discontinued:

a) On the 1st of the month following the end of the student or academic year of completion of studies in the case of students – students and in any case not beyond the end of the year in which they reach the age of 24 years.

b) From the 1st of the month following the month in which a student or student is withdrawn due to discontinuation of studies.

c) On the 1st of the month following that of the death of the beneficiary or dependent child.

d) The 1st of the month following that of the marriage of the dependent child.

e) The first of the month following the month in which the beneficiary and/or dependent children permanently settle abroad.

f) The first of the month following the month in which the KEPA’s opinion expires and in any case, not beyond the end of the year in which the child reaches the age of 24.

How do I get backthe  money I received when I was no longer entitled to it?

You are referring to the recovery of money paid in error

1 If the beneficiary received a different amount of benefit from the amount to which he or she is entitled, the amount corresponding to the difference is set off automatically until the benefit is paid.

2. Amounts that were unduly paid to families with three children and large families for family allowances, which were abolished by the provisions of Article 1, Para. IA, subpara. IA2 of Law 4093/2012 (Government Gazette A222) and the provisions of par. 15 of Article 214 of Law 4512/2018 (Government Gazette A΄5), may be offset against the child benefit granted, according to the provisions of Article 214 of Law 4512/2018 (Government Gazette A΄5), to the same families, subject to the provisions of para. 11 of article one, paragraph 11 of article one, par. IA, subpar. IA2 of law 4093/2012 (Government Gazette A222).

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