Greece pauses Child Benefit A21 applications until 27 November, fifth instalment due 30 November

Platform pause before the fifth payment

OPEKA, the Greek agency for social benefits and social solidarity, announced a temporary closure of its online A21 child benefit platform at 18:00 on Friday, 13 November 2026. While the platform is shut, it will not accept new applications, and the pause lasts until the clearing of the fifth two-monthly payment for 2026 is complete. The platform is then due to reopen for new applications and for changes to existing ones at 08:00 on 27 November. An application saved temporarily but not formally submitted is treated as not submitted and will not be considered. Recipients are reminded that a benefit can only be paid once the application has been filed definitively and approved.

Eligibility and how to apply

School attendance is one of the core conditions, with children required to be enrolled in compulsory education from preschool through gymnasium and to attend adequately. Applications will be filed through the HDIKA platform or OPEKA's electronic services, logged in with Taxisnet personal codes. Applicants must enter the school unit, the class and the pupil's Registry Number. If those details cannot be cross-checked, a notice appears and the applicant must attach the required supporting document to the A21 application. Applications filed late are paid retroactively, provided the conditions are met. Sources point applicants to the idika.gr and opeka.gr portals for submitting or amending applications.

How much families can receive

Sources put the monthly amount for the first two children at between 28 and 70 euros per child, depending on income, with the amount doubling from the third child onward. SKAI gives the finer breakdown: 70, 42 or 28 euros per child for the first and second child, and 140, 84 or 56 euros from the third child onward. The maximum for a household, according to the same report, is 70 euros for one child, 140 euros for two and 280 euros for three. Households must have income up to 10,500 euros for one child, 12,000 for two, 13,500 for three and 15,000 for four to receive the maximum. The amount is calculated on the number of dependent children declared in the 2026 A21 application and on the applicable income criteria.

1 child10,500

2 children12,000

3 children13,500

4 children15,000

1 child

10500 EUR

2 children

12000 EUR

3 children

13500 EUR

4 children

15000 EUR

Data from the article text

Payments still ahead

The fifth instalment is expected to be paid on 30 November to those whose applications have been submitted and approved. iefimerida reports an additional payment expected between 21 and 23 December, alongside the other OPEKA benefits. SKAI frames the deadline as the last chance to claim the fifth instalment together with the four earlier instalments, which are paid retroactively. Anyone who had not filed by the 18:00 closure must wait for the platform to reopen on 27 November before submitting.