Second Chamber: All families will receive Child Support from January 1, 2016 onwards

Caribisch Netwerk reports that, from January 1, 2016, all families with children in the Caribbean Netherlands are entitled to a family allowance of $ 38 per child per month. That’s $ 456 per year per child.

Yesterday, the request of the Christian Union (CU) and the Labour Party (PVDA) to make provisions for this passed in the Second Chamber during the debate on the budget of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.

The allowances will replace the current tax credit for people with children, the child tax credit. The new rules should ensure that, in particular , the poorer families will receive this advantage. PvdA and CU hope to contribute to a reduction of the poverty in Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius.

The current tax credit on income tax for children holds, that people with children can deduct $ 38 extra per child per month from the tax they have to pay. But families and people with low incomes often do not pay income tax and therefore cannot take advantage of the child tax credit.

It has been decided that this child support money will go directly to all the families, regardless of their income.

The cost for the child support in the Caribbean Netherlands will amount to approximately $ 800,000 per year.