Family benefits overview

It is possible to change the recipient of family benefits. To do so, send a free-form message through our self-service.

• We start paying family benefits to the new recipient from the following month
• If the recipient of parental benefit is changed, we grant the benefit to the new recipient as of the month following the submission of an application. As parental benefit is paid afterwards for the previous month, it will reach the new recipient the month after the next one. For example, if the new recipient submits an application in May, we start calculating them benefit as of 1th June and we make the first payment in July.
• We start paying additional contributions to mandatory funded pension from the day of submission of the application.

If you like, you can also submit the applications:

• with both parents’ digital signature to the e-mail address [email protected];
• signed on paper via mail to the address Paldiski mnt 80, 15092 Tallinn;
• at a customer service office of the Social Insurance Board (be sure to take your ID card or passport with you; if you come alone, bring the other parent’s signed written consent).

Parental benefit is calculated for every recipient personally based on their previous income.  The period the income of which we take as a basis always remains the same as for the previous recipient.
An exception is a situation where the parental benefit of the current recipient was calculated according to the income which served as the basis for the parental benefit for the last child and the new applicant for parental benefit has not received parental benefit in connection with the last child. In that case, income of the new applicant earned before the parental benefit for the new child is taken as the basis.

Various life events may affect the receipt of family benefits. We get information on most of them from different registers.
Information on some events does not reach registers or does not reach them in time. Therefore it may happen that we keep paying benefits when the right to them no longer exists. We must reclaim such benefits later (read more about the refund of overpaid family benefits below).

You can help us pay benefits correctly by informing us of any changes.

You are required to inform us if:

• You relocate to another country or your child relocates to or starts school in another country;
• A member of your family – parent, guardian, caregiver, parent’s spouse or parent’s unmarried partner, if you have common children – starts work in a Contracting Party to the EEA Agreement or the Swiss Confederation;
• You receive family benefits from a foreign country;
• Your child suspends or discontinues their studies in a foreign country;
• You start working while receiving parental benefit and you earn income exceeding half the maximum limit of benefit. In 2023 it is 2145,65 euros;
• The paternity of your child is established;
• Your spouse or unmarried partner adopts your child.

Let us know of any changes:

• Via e-mail to the address [email protected]; 
• By calling the Social Insurance Board’s information line (+372) 612 1360;
• At a customer service office of the Social Insurance Board;
• Via mail to the address Paldiski mnt 80, 15092 Tallinn.

If you change your surname, we get information about it from the population register. You are not required to notify us separately. However, you are definitely required to notify of your name change the bank where you receive your family benefits.  You must go to the bank with your identity document and name change document.

If your name is not changed in the bank, your allowances will bounce back. If the money bounces back in two consecutive months, we will suspend payment of family benefits to you.

We can continue payments after you have corrected your name in the bank. 
Once your name has been changed in the bank we can continue the payments, so let us know:

• Via e-mail to the address [email protected]; 
• By sending an application via mail to the address Paldiski mnt 80, 15092 Tallinn;
• At a customer service office of the Social Insurance Board.

If a parent who receives family benefits dies and you are the children’s other parent, you must submit an application to us for receiving family benefits.

If the only parent or both parents die and you take an orphaned child(ren) into your family, you must first contact your local government. They will help you with all the necessary documents in connection with raising the child(ren). You can enter into a foster care contract or get help with initiating guardianship proceedings in court. Read more about becoming a foster family.

Then submit to us an application for receiving family benefits. You can submit the application in the self service portal or via e-mail [email protected].

If you have received family benefits to which you had no right, you must refund these.
We will send you a notification before making a reclaim decision. If you have additional information which we must take into consideration or which may affect the amount reclaimed, please send it no later than within 15 days. Please send the information to the e-mail address [email protected] or via mail to the address Paldiski mnt 80, 15092 Tallinn.

You can refund benefits received without basis by making a lump-sum payment, by offsetting or in justified cases in instalments. 

At your request we can offset overpaid amounts against future benefits. By agreement it is possible to do this in instalments.

If you do not make an agreement with us concerning the manner of refund of overpaid amounts, we have the right to withhold these from your future benefits.

Overpaid parental benefit, maintenance allowance and family allowances can be offset against the family allowances in the following months.

When offsetting against family allowances we will withhold up to 20% of the amount of family allowances granted to you.

If you have not refunded  overpaid family benefits and the offset is not possible, we will issue a precept for the refund of overpaid amounts.  If you have received a precept for the refund of overpaid amounts and you fail to comply with the precept in a timely manner, we have the right to send the precept to a bailiff for compulsory enforcement. In that case you are also required to cover the costs of the enforcement proceedings.

The payment of family benefits may be suspended and terminated on our as well as your initiative.

You are entitled to waive family benefits and additional contributions to mandatory funded pension if: 

• You do not want to receive family benefits or funded pension
• You waive family benefits in favour of the other parent
   

  Or required to waive if:

• You relocate from Estonia
• You relocate to another European Union Member State and neither of the parents remain working in Estonia (read about Rules for payment of family benefits in European Union Member States)
• The child is no longer being raised in your family

Submit to us an application for waiving benefits in the self service portal and indicate which allowances you are waiving.

If you like, you can also submit an application:

• If digitally signed, via e-mail to the address [email protected]
• Via mail to the address Paldiski mnt 80, 15092 Tallinn
• At customer service offices of the Social Insurance Board
   

The application form is available among Family benefits forms.
 

We suspend the payment of family benefits in the following cases:

• The child is separated from the family;
• You are being held at a detention facility as an imprisoned person, a detained person or an arrested person without your child up to 3 years of age (inclusive) (if your child is with you, you are entitled to keep receiving all family allowances other than parental benefit);
• It has not been possible to deliver benefits paid by way of home delivery by post for at least two months;
• Your family benefits payment has bounced from the bank for at least two months;
• Proceedings for the establishment of the whereabouts of a missing person have been initiated concerning you or your child;
• Search proceedings have been initiated concerning you or your child because of evasion of service of imprisonment.

  We terminate the payment of all family benefits if:

• You submit an application for the termination of the payment of family benefits;
• The family changes their place of residence and relocates to another country;
• You are deprived of the right of custody over the child;
• A guardian is appointed to your minor child;
• Your child is placed in a foster family, family home or substitute home.

We will continue the payment of benefits if the reason for suspension or termination ceases to exist.


Let us know of any changes:

• Via e-mail to the address [email protected]; 
• By calling the Social Insurance Board’s information line (+372) 612 1360;
• At a customer service office of the Social Insurance Board;
• Via mail to the address Paldiski mnt 80, 15092 Tallinn.