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

Verified 01 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Are you an employee and have children? Your children are entitled to certain benefits when you retire from the Retirement Insurance. Some benefits are cumulative. We present 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 your pension.

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

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 are granted in consideration of theimpact 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 surcharge.
  • 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 mark-up.

Reminder

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

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 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 premium and the education premium 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 premium, and possibly the adoption premium, 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 quarter of education increase for each year of education
  • If the father is the only one designated on the adoption deed or judgment, he receives the adoption surcharge. And if the two members of the couple are included in the adoption act or judgment, the adoptive father receives 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 a 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 mark-up

Two of the 4 quarters of adoption increase are automatically allocated to the mother.

The other 2 quarters are, according to the choice of the parents, allocated to only one of them or divided between 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 primary responsibility for the child's care and the steps prior to 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 quarters are granted to each parent.

Allocation of the adoption surcharge cannot be changed, except in the event 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 is made online on the Info Retraite website in your retirement account using the service My steps / Declare my children.

Info Retirement - My retirement account

Education markup

Two of the 4 quarters of education increase are automatically allocated to the mother. The other 2 quarters are, according to the choice of the parents, allocated to only one of them or divided between 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 taken on 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 increase. When the 2 parents are of the same sex, 2 quarters are granted to each parent.

The allocation of the education bonus 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 is made online on the Info Retraite website in your retirement account using the service My steps / Declare my children.

Info Retirement - My retirement account

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 leaveHowever, you are entitled to an increase in your pension insurance period equal to the duration of your parental leave. That is to say, you are entitled to additional quarters of free pension insurance (without contribution in return).

Reminder

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

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 that you've spent 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 only granted to you 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 does not entitle the employee 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 a certificate from your employer specifying the start and end dates of your parental leave.

You can send 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.

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

The increase is granted to the father and the 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 affiliated free of charge (without contribution on your part) to the Pension Insurance.

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

This device is called Home Parent Old Age Insurance (HAPA).

Please note

The periods concerned 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 that do not exceed a ceiling.

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

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

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

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

Number of dependent children

2023 resource cap effective 2025

You live alone and 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

€28,444

€28,444

€31,066

2

€35,008

€35,008

€37,279

3

€41,572

€41,572

€44,735

Per additional child

€6,564

€6,564

€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. no contribution) per 30-month education period.

You can thus benefit from Maximum 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 full rate retirement.

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

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

You are also entitled to a full pension 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 FCH.

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 on your part) to the Pension Insurance.

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

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

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

  • You are in parental attendance leave and benefit from the daily parental attendance 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 care for a dependent disabled child under 20 years of age who is not admitted to a boarding school and whose permanent incapacity 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 child-rearing 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 Ava in the following cases:

  • If you are on parental leave and benefit from the daily parental attendance 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 FCHHowever, you do not have to take any steps to benefit from Ava membership. Your MDPH: titleContent automatically affiliates you.
  • If you are on caregiver 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 don't benefit from the daily caregiver allowance, you must apply for your affiliation to the Ava at your Caf. You must ask your Caf for the form to be completed:

Caregiver's old-age insurance coverage in respect of family 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 mark-up 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 a 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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