News item | 15-01-2025 | 16:57
State Secretary Nobel (Participation and Integration) has presented the bill on non-indexing of the maximum hourly prices to the House of Representatives. The bill makes it possible not to index the maximum hourly prices within the childcare allowance on a one-off basis in 2026.
The maximum hourly price is the maximum rate at which working parents receive childcare allowance. The one-off no indexation in 2026 is one of the agreements in the outline agreement to better balance public finances. This results in annual savings of €254 million. The government considers this appropriate, because large additional investments have recently been made – and will follow – in the childcare allowance.
For example, the maximum hourly prices have been increased by more than €500 million in 2024 and most parents will receive a higher childcare allowance this year, meaning they will spend less money on childcare. In the coming years, the government will invest a total of €2.9 billion in higher reimbursement for childcare as part of the new financing system. This works towards simpler and more affordable childcare for working parents.
For most households, the costs of childcare are expected to decrease, even if the maximum hourly price remains the same in 2026. This is because they will be reimbursed for an increasing share of childcare costs in the coming years, in the run-up to the new financing system. In this system, everyone will receive compensation of 96% of the maximum hourly price.