October 13, 2026

Athens News

News in English from Greece

Child benefit A21: when will the platform be closed and how much will families be paid?


Application platform for child benefit A21 will temporarily close on September 11 at 18:00: ΟΠΕΚΑ and ΗΔΙΚΑ begin calculating the fourth payment for 2026. According to the published schedule, money for July and August should arrive in recipients’ accounts on Wednesday. September 30.

A21 is transferred once every two months. The amount depends not only on the number of children, but also on equivalent family income – an indicator that takes into account the total family income and its composition.

The application is submitted in the A21 electronic system through an account Taxisnet. It is important not to simply fill out the form, but to click the final submit button: a draft is not considered a valid application.

When will the fourth payment arrive?

The next payment covers the period July–August 2026. After the system is temporarily closed, processing of applications and data verification will begin.

Planned payment date – September 30, 2026. Typically, funds become available in bank accounts on the day of official payment, but the exact time of crediting depends on the bank.

What does the size of A21 depend on?

To calculate benefits, families are divided into three income categories:

Category Equivalent Family Income For the 1st and 2nd child per month On the 3rd and every next
A up to 6,000 € 70 € 140 €
B from 6,001 € to 10,000 € 42 € 84 €
C from 10,001 € to 15,000 € 28 € 56 €

Equivalent income is not just the total amount reported on your return. It correlates with the number of adults and children in the family. Therefore, two families with the same annual income may fall into different categories if their family composition is different.

How much will they pay in two months?

Below are the amounts for exactly one two-month payment – that is, for July and August.

Number of children Category A Category B Category C
1 child 140 € 84 € 56 €
2 children 280 € 168 € 112 €
3 children 560 € 336 € 224 €
4 children 840 € 504 € 336 €
5 children 1,120 € 672 € 448 €

The principle is simple: for the first and second child a basic amount is paid, and for the third child the benefit for each child is doubled.

What payments are still expected in 2026?

After the September payment, two more payments remain on the calendar:

  • 5th payment for September–October – approximately November 30;
  • 6th payment for November-December – approximately from December 18 to December 24.

These dates should be taken as a working schedule: the final confirmation of each payment is published by ΟΠΕΚΑ and ΗΔΙΚΑ closer to the time of transfer.

What to check before closing the platform

Before September 11th, recipients should log into their application to ensure it is in final submission status. Need to check:

  • whether children are correctly listed as dependents;
  • Is data on family composition up-to-date?
  • Is the bank account IBAN correct;
  • whether a tax return has been filed, on the basis of which the system determines income;
  • Is there a request for additional documents or data correction?

If an application is submitted or amended after the next due date, the right to benefits does not automatically disappear. If the conditions are met, the amount for previous periods may be included in the next payment.

The official A21 page is available via electronic system ΗΔΙΚΑ. Before publishing the final payment date, it is worth checking the advertisements further ΟΠΕΚΑ: They are the primary source for schedule changes.



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