Parental allowance for children with chronic or severe disabilities

Parental allowances are intended to ensure the maintenance of a child when the parent is unable to work or study because of the care of a chronically ill or disabled child under the age of 18.

This is a joint right of parents. Both parents cannot receive payments at the same time.

General conditions

To apply for parental allowance, the following conditions must be fulfilled:

• 14 working days have passed since the child was diagnosed with a serious and chronic disease or severe disability

• a child needs significant care due to serious and chronic illnesses or severe disability

• a child is not in an orphanage, e.g. in kindergarten or school

• the parent must have legal domicile with the child in Iceland during the payment period

Conditions of parents according to circumstances

In addition, you must meet different conditions depending on your circumstances:

• If you have to stop working

• If you have to stop your studies

• If you are outside the labor market and not studying

Special situations

• A parent who does not have custody of a child may be entitled to payments if he/she carries out the child during the period of payments. The custodial parent must give consent.

• The spouse of the custodial parent, may be entitled to payments if the consent of both biological parents is available and the marriage or cohabitation has been in place for more than one year.

• If a child is receiving palliative treatment, both parents can receive parental benefits for up to 3 months.