How are children taken into account for the employee's retirement?

Verified 14 August 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)

If you are an employee, your children entitle you to certain benefits when you retire from the Retirement Insurance. Some benefits are cumulative. We present you the different devices.

FYI  

If you have contributed to different pension funds during your career, your children will be taken into account by one of these funds only, necessarily by the Pension Insurance according to your situation. Check with your pension funds before applying for retirement.

If you have had (or adopted) one or more children, your children entitle you to additional quarters of free pension insurance (i.e. without contribution in return).

These additional quarters are called markups (duration of insurance) for children.

Every child born (or adopted minor) entitles to additional quarters for the following reasons:

  • 4 quarters shall be granted in consideration ofimpact on working life of the maternity or care of an adopted child and steps prior to this reception. These quarters are called maternity premium or adoption mark-up
  • And 4 quarters are also granted in consideration of theeducation of the child for 4 years after birth or adoption. These quarters are called education surcharge.

Reminder

Your number of quarters (of pension insurance) is taken into account when you retire to determine whether or not you are entitled to a full rate pension.

For example, if you were born in 1964, you must have 170 quarters (42 years and 6 months) to qualify for a full pension.

The minimum age at which you can retire is lowered by one year if you were born from 1er April 1965 and if you receive at least 1 quarter of increase in maternity, adoption or education insurance.

The maternity or adoption increase and the education increase are granted differently depending on whether your children were born (or adopted) before 2010 or from 2010:

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Before 2010

The maternity or adoption supplement and the education supplement are automatically granted to the mother. She therefore benefits from 8 additional quarters (2 years) of free pension insurance.

However, in certain specific situations, the education surcharge, and possibly the adoption surcharge, may be granted to the father:

  • In the event of the death of the mother before the majority of the child. The father benefits from the education supplement, and possibly the adoption supplement, if he has raised the child for all or part of the 4 years following the birth or adoption
  • If the father proves that he has raised the child alone for one or more years during the 4 years following the birth or adoption. It benefits from 1 trimester of education increase for each year of education
  • If the father is the only one designated on the adoption act or judgment, he benefits from the adoption surcharge. And if the two members of the couple appear on the act or the adoption judgment, the adoptive father benefits from 1 trimester of education increase for each year of education if he proves that he raised the child alone.

Please note

The education supplement may be granted to the husband of the mother who has raised the child as third party educator.

Details and supporting documents concerning the number of children born, adopted and brought up must be provided when applying for retirement.

From 2010

Maternity surcharge

The maternity premium of 4 quarters is automatically granted to the mother.

Adoption surcharge

Two of the 4 quarters adoption mark-up are automatically assigned to the mother.

The other 2 quarters are, according to the parents' choice, allocated to or distributed among one of them.

Parents must make their choice known within 6 months of the 4the anniversary of the child's adoption.

In case of disagreement expressed by either parent within 6 months of 4e on the anniversary of the child's adoption, the two quarters of education increase are allocated to the parent who proves that he or she has assumed the primary responsibility for the child's care and the steps required for that care. In the absence of proof, 1 quarter of adoption surcharge is allocated to each parent.

If the parents do not express a choice within 6 months of 4e on the anniversary of the child's adoption, the mother is automatically granted the four terms. When the 2 parents are of the same sex, 2 terms are granted to each parent.

Allocation the adoption surcharge cannot be changed, except in case of death of a parent before the child reaches the age of majority. In this case, the quarters are allocated to the surviving parent who actually raised the child.

The declaration for the distribution between the parents of the quarters of pension insurance must be made by means of form cerfa n°51767:

Declaration for the distribution among parents of the quarters of pension insurance granted for each child born or adopted on or after 1 January 2010

Education markup

Two of the 4 quarters education surcharge are automatically assigned to the mother.

The other 2 quarters are, according to the parents' choice, allocated to or distributed among one of them.

Parents must make their choice known within 6 months of the 4the anniversary of the child's birth or adoption.

In case of disagreement expressed by either parent within 6 months of 4e on the anniversary of the child's birth or adoption, the two quarters of education increase shall be allocated to the parent who proves that he or she has assumed primary responsibility for the child's education during the longest period. In the absence of proof, 1 trimester of education supplement is allocated to each parent.

If the parents do not express a choice within 6 months of 4e on the anniversary of the child's birth or adoption, the mother is automatically granted the four quarters of education supplement. When the 2 parents are of the same sex, 2 terms are granted to each parent.

The allocation of the education surcharge cannot be changed. However, it may be applied in the event of the death of a parent before the child reaches the age of majority. In this case, the quarters are allocated to the surviving parent who actually raised the child.

The declaration for the distribution between the parents of the quarters of pension insurance must be made by means of form cerfa n°51767:

Declaration for the distribution among parents of the quarters of pension insurance granted for each child born or adopted on or after 1 January 2010

The education surcharge may also be granted to a third party in the following cases

  • The child was entrusted to him by judgment
  • She was granted full parental authority
  • She's been appointed guardian.

This third party must have effectively assumed the child's education for 4 years from the decision.

If you have temporarily stopped working as part of a parental education leave, you are entitled to an increase in your pension insurance period equal to the duration of your parental leave. That is, you are entitled to additional quarters of free pension insurance (with no contribution).

Reminder

Your number of quarters (of pension insurance) is taken into account when you retire to determine whether or not you are entitled to a full rate pension.

For example, if you were born in 1964, you must have 170 quarters (42 years and 6 months) to qualify for a full pension.

The periods passed in parental leave shall be taken into account date to date. A quarter is posted at the end of each 90-day period. All months are retained for 30 days. The number of quarters is rounded up.

This increase in your parental leave pension insurance period is not not cumulative with maternity or adoption and education increases. It is granted only if it is more favorable to you than maternity or adoption and education increases.

Warning  

Parental leave during which the professional activity is carried out on a part-time basis shall not entitle the person concerned to an increase in the duration of pension insurance.

To benefit from this increase in your insurance term, you must send to your Carsat: titleContent an attestation, drawn up by your employer, specifying the start and end dates of your parental leave.

You can submit this certificate as soon as your parental leave ends.

If you have taken more than one parental leave during your career, you can benefit from the increase in your pension insurance period for each parental leave.

The minimum age at which you can retire is lowered by one year if you were born from 1er April 1965 and if you receive at least 1 quarter of insurance premium due to parental education leave.

If you have had at least 3 children, the amount of your retirement pension from the Pension Insurance is increased by 10%.

The increase shall be granted to the father and mother.

The children taken into account are:

  • The children you had
  • And the children who were at your load or dependent on your spouse and who you raised for at least 9 years before they turned 16.

Please note

If you benefit from the overcoat, the increase of 10% is calculated on the total amount of your retirement pension (including surcharge).

Details and supporting documents entitling you to the increase in the amount of your retirement pension must be provided when you apply for retirement.

Your Carsat: titleContent will contact you to ask for the necessary supporting documents depending on whether you have a relationship with the children or not.

If you are a stay-at-home parent without work or if you work part-time to raise one or more children, you can, if you meet certain conditions, be insured free of charge (without any contribution from you) for Retirement Insurance.

These periods can therefore be taken into account in the calculation of your pension insurance period, which is used to determine, when you retire, whether or not you are entitled to a pension full rate pension.

This device is called old-age home insurance (AVPF).

Please note

The periods in question must not have already given rise to an increase in your period of insurance for parental leave with the Pension Insurance or to an increase in your period of insurance with another pension fund.

To benefit from the AVPF, you must receive thebasic allowance for the early childhood care benefit (EYCB), the shared child-rearing benefit (PreParE) or the family supplement and have resources not exceeding a ceiling.

If you live as a couple and have reduces your professional activity, your couple's 2024 income must be less than:

  • €5,597 if you are a beneficiary of the basic allowance of the Paye or the family supplement
  • €30,277.80 if you are a PreParE beneficiary.

In other cases, the following conditions must be met in order to benefit from free pension insurance:

Tableau - Resource ceiling to be respected to benefit from the AVPF

Number of dependent children

2023 resource cap in effect in 2025

You live alone and you receive the basic allowance, the family supplement or the PrePare

You live as a couple and you receive the basic allowance

You live as a couple and you perceive the PrePar or the family supplement

1

€28,956

€28,956

€31,066

2

€35,638

€35,638

€37,279

3

€42,320

€42,320

€44,735

Per additional child

€6,682

€6,682

€7,456

You do not have to take any steps to benefit from membership in the AVPF.

Your Caf: titleContent automatically affiliates you.

If you are raising or have raised a child with a permanent 80% under the age of 20, you are entitled to 1 free additional pension insurance quarter (i.e. without contribution in return) per 30-month education period.

You can thus benefit from Up to 8 quarters.

This increase in the duration of pension insurance for severely disabled children is cumulative with the maternity or adoption and education increases or the parental leave increase.

Reminder

Your number of quarters (of pension insurance) is taken into account when you retire to determine whether or not you are entitled to a full rate pension.

For example, if you were born in 1964, you must have 170 quarters (42 years and 6 months) to qualify for a full pension.

The minimum age at which you can retire is lowered by one year if you were born from 1er April 1965 and if you receive at least 1 quarter of insurance premium as the parent of a severely disabled child.

If you have at least 1 quarter of free supplementary pension insurance for disabled children, you have right to a full rate pension at age 65 regardless of your total number of quarters.

You are also entitled to a full retirement at age 65, regardless of your total number of terms, if you have provided effective assistance to your child receiving human assistance from the FCH: titleContent, for at least 30 consecutive months, as employee or family caregiver.

Conditions to be fulfilled

Your child must have a disability rate of 80% which entitles him to the following benefits:

You do not need to be related to the child in order to qualify for free terms.

Obtaining the supplement for disabled children

The increase in the duration of insurance is granted to the person collecting the AEEH and its supplement or the PCH.

It is also granted to any person who assumes or has assumed the effective and permanent care of the child, without being the beneficiary of the allowances (spouse, grandparent, etc.).

Details and supporting documents entitling you to the extended period of insurance for severely disabled children must be provided when you apply for retirement.

Your Carsat: titleContent will contact you to ask for the necessary supporting documents depending on whether you receive AEEH and its supplement or PCH or not.

If you temporarily cease or reduce your professional activity to take care of a sick or disabled child, you can, if you meet certain conditions, be affiliated free of charge (without contribution from you) to the Pension Insurance.

These periods can therefore be taken into account in the calculation of your retirement insurance period, which is used to determine, when you retire, whether or not you are entitled to a pension full rate pension.

This device is called old-age caregiver insurance (Ava).

You are covered free of charge by the caregiver's old-age insurance in the following situations:

  • You are in parental attendance leave and benefit from the daily parental presence allowance
  • You are in caregiver leave and receive or not receive the daily caregiver allowance
  • You cease your professional activity or work part-time to take care of a dependent disabled child under 20 who is not admitted to a boarding school and whose permanent disability is at least equal to 80%
  • You cease your professional activity or work part-time to take care of a dependent disabled child under 20 who is not admitted to a boarding school and who is entitled to the supplement of the education allowance for disabled children (AEEH) or to the disability compensation benefit (PCH).

If you work part-time, your professional income in 2023 must be less than €30,277.80.

You are automatically affiliated with the Ava in the following cases:

  • If you are on parental leave and benefit from the daily parental presence allowance, you do not have to take any steps to benefit from the affiliation to the Ava. Your Caf: titleContent automatically affiliates you.
  • If you benefit from theAEEH or FCH, you do not have to take any steps to benefit from the Ava membership. Your MDPH: titleContent automatically affiliates you.
  • If you are on caregiving leave, and benefit from the daily caregiver allowance, you do not have to take any steps to benefit from the affiliation to the Ava. Your Caf: titleContent automatically affiliates you.

If you are on caregiver leave, and do not benefit from the daily caregiver allowance, you must apply for your affiliation to the Ava from your Caf. You must ask your Caf for the form to be completed:

Affiliation to the Old Age Insurance for Caregivers for Caregiver Leave

In particular, you must provide an attestation from your employer indicating the dates of your caregiving leave in support of your application.

You are entitled to a markup the amount of your retirement pension, called parental override, if you meet the following conditions:

You must also meet the following condition: benefit from at least 1 quarter of free pension insurance (i.e. without contribution in return) for one of the following reasons:

  • You have had or adopted one or more children
  • Or you raise or have raised a disabled child under 20 years of age
  • Or you have temporarily stopped working as part of parental education leave.

If you meet these 3 conditions, the amount of your retirement pension is increased by 1.25% for each completed quarter, in the year preceding the statutory minimum retirement age, in excess of the number of quarters required to be entitled to a full pension.

Your retirement pension can be increased to a maximum of 5%.

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