Hungary Extends School‑Start Grant to Single‑Parent Families

Social and Family Affairs Minister Vilmos Kátai‑Németh announced that children from single‑parent families are eligible for Hungary's school‑start grant of 100,000 forints per child. The grant is automatically paid only to families whose single‑parent status is registered in the State Treasury's high family‑allowance database; otherwise, parents must submit a change‑of‑status request online via the ügyfélkapu portal or in person at a government office, providing proof such as a final divorce decree, death certificate, or a declaration of living separately.

The support, which also covers children receiving regular child‑protection benefits, those with chronic illness or severe disability, special‑needs pupils, participants in the Dobbantó programme, orphans, and children in foster care, is expected to reach about 400,000 children this year. Eligibility for the regular child‑protection benefit requires a per‑capita net monthly income not exceeding 64,125 forints (69,825 for single parents or families with a chronically ill child). The policy was approved at the cabinet meeting on 1 July and communicated in a Facebook post on Saturday.