The Child Supplement for families with an income lower than €10,830 will be handed out on Saturday, Social Solidarity Minister Michael Farrugia announced today. Some 13,300 families are eligible for the full amount.

Families will be given €400 for each child for the first three children and €200 for every other child. In total, this will cost the government  €7,598,783.

Children under the age of 16 have to have a 95% attendance rate at school. Children over the age of 16 have to be in education, enrolled in the Youth Guarantee or applying for work.

Families that receive just over €10,380 annually will be given a supplement pro rata through a soft exit scheme. 527 families will  benefit from this scheme.

The child allowance will be sent to families on 12 September, just ahead of the scholastic year. Over 16,000 families will benefit from this allowance.

The Child Supplement scheme was announced in last November’s budget.  The government had announced that in the case of parents who refused to abide by the child supplement instructions, such as allowing regular absenteeism, the money would instead be put aside in trust funds to be used by their children when they grow up, in search of employment or further education.