16 Sep Changes to the Child Allowance System will take effect in October 2024.
The Child Allowance System will change as follows, effective as of the October 2024 child allowance payment.
(1) Children will be eligible for the allowance until March 31 following their 18th birthday. The previous eligibility age was until March 31 following a child’s 15th birthday.
(2) Income limits and maximum income limits will be lifted.
(3) The allowance for the third and subsequent children will be 30,000 yen per month, an increase from 15,000 yen.
(4) Children must be included in the total number of children until after the March 31 following their 22nd birthday. The previous requirement was to include children in the total number of children until after the March 31 following their 18th birthday.
(5) The number of payments will increase from 3 times to 6 times a year.
The Changes to the System at a Glance
A notice regarding the Child Allowance System has been sent.
A postcard informing those who are already receiving the Sapporo City Child Allowance or Special Benefit was sent on July 31, 2024.
The postcard will include the names of children who are registered for the Sapporo City Child Allowance. Please confirm the names of the children on the postcard.
If the names of your children eligible for the allowance are listed, then no further steps are required, and the allowance based on the new system (for October and November 2024) will be paid for the first time on December 13, 2024.
If they are not listed, you will need to follow the application procedures below.
Those who need to take steps to apply.
The following people need to apply to receive the benefit:
・Those who are receiving the Sapporo City Child Allowance or the Special Benefit, but the names of eligible children were not listed on the July 31, 2024 notification postcard.
・Those who are providing care equivalent to custody and living expenses to children born between April 2, 2002, and April 1, 2006, and whose total number of children eligible for the allowance is three or more.
・Those who were not eligible for the benefit due to exceeding the previous maximum income limit, but who are now eligible.
・Those who were not eligible for the benefit due to your child’s (children’s) age, but who are now eligible (i.e., households with only high school students)
To receive the full allowance in December 2024, your application must be completed by October 31, 2024.
Please note that those who need to take steps to apply must do so by October 31, 2024, to receive the allowance on December 13, 2024.
If you fail to do so and apply:
・between November 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025, you will receive the first payment in January 2025 or later for full allowances starting in October.
・on or after April 1, 2025, you will not receive retrospective payments; you will only receive allowances starting from the month following your application.
How to apply
Applications will be accepted at the Administrative Center for Child Allowance System Revision (児童手当制度改正事務センター, Jidou-teate-seido-kaisei-jimu-center) by mail or electronically from August 1, 2024.
Please note that, in principle, applications cannot be accepted at ward offices, except under special circumstances.
For further details, please contact
SAPPORO HELP DESK for Foreign Residents
TEL：011-211-3678
Information based on Sapporo City
Last reviewed on September 16, 2024