In Kosovo, applying for a child’s right to state support has turned into a complex bureaucratic maze. Instead of a straightforward process, some parents have found themselves caught between social services, post offices, and even the Kosovo Agency of Statistics—with no clear path to reinstating their child benefit payments.
KoSSev has spoken to several parents from North Mitrovica who shared their frustration and failed attempts to reclaim the child allowances they had long received without interruption. Their accounts reflect a growing pattern of administrative opacity, inconsistent procedures, and a lack of clear guidance.
Where Did the Money Go?
For years, parents in Kosovo received child allowances from the government—€20 monthly for children under two and €10 for those aged 2 to 16. In mid-2024, the government introduced a new benefits structure: €20 for one or two children, and €30 for families with three or more. However, along with the new scheme came a new requirement—a strict three-month window after a child’s birth to apply. Those who missed it were required to undergo a verification process.
In November 2024, Kosovo’s government also granted a one-time €100 payment to children and pensioners. It was a generous gesture—except many families never received it. Worse still, some saw their regular child benefits suddenly halted. Instead of money, they received emails stating their accounts were „temporarily suspended.“
Verification Labyrinth
The vague notices gave no reasons for the suspension. Parents were told they now had to verify whether they and their children still resided in Kosovo.
Some were instructed to go to the local Center for Social Work. One father of two from North Mitrovica told KoSSev that he was asked to submit his children’s vaccination records and birth certificates. But when he did, officials rejected the documents, claiming they were issued by “parallel institutions”—a euphemism for Serbian-run services.
Others arrived at the Center only to be told that the institution had no role in the process at all.
Then came the second wave of instructions: go to the nearest Post Office of Kosovo with identity cards, utility bills, and either school records or vaccination certificates, depending on the child’s age. This led many to the newly opened Post Office in North Mitrovica’s pedestrian zone.
Yet again, results were mixed. Some parents reported their payments resumed shortly after submitting documents. Others, like a mother of a 13-year-old girl, said they heard nothing back.
The Final Step: Pristina’s Statistics Office
Three months later, yet another email arrived. For those whose verification had „failed,“ the Ministry of Finance informed them that their documentation was „invalid.“ The only remaining option: travel to the Kosovo Agency of Statistics in Pristina for in-person registration—this time with the entire family present.
One couple from North Mitrovica recounted their visit to the agency with their two-year-old daughter. Faced with staff who spoke no Serbian, they managed with English and submitted their documents. A friendly clerk entered their data but offered no guarantee that the child benefit would ever resume.
“He said that from his side, everything is done—but he works for the statistics agency, not the Ministry of Finance,” the parents told KoSSev.
Hundreds Affected—Mostly Serbs
According to Kosovo’s Deputy Ombudsman, more than 200 complaints have been filed by parents in similar situations. Ines Aljević Mihajlović from the NGO ACDC confirmed the pattern and said that from April 1 to 15 alone, over 230 reports were collected from ethnic minority parents—mostly Serbs—whose children are enrolled in Serbian-run schools and receive healthcare through Serbian institutions.
“These children were born here, live here, and go to school here,” Mihajlović said. “Only those in the Serbian system are affected. Others who don’t use Serbian services haven’t had problems.”
She added that families were asked to repeat the verification process each time a new child was born. Yet the E-Kosova platform required for registering newborns has been malfunctioning for months.
Meanwhile, local offices in North Mitrovica stopped processing birth registrations entirely as of February 1 due to a central government decree.
“One woman told us she was turned back at the border with her newborn because she had no birth certificate—after trying for three months to obtain one,” Mihajlović said.
A Census Connection?
Although unconfirmed, speculation is mounting that these benefit suspensions are tied to last year’s census. Participation in Serbian-majority areas was notably low. Many in the north reported that no enumerators visited them at all.
“Even if that’s the reason, children didn’t refuse to be counted,” Mihajlović said. “If there’s a law linking benefits to census participation, let us see it. You can penalize someone—but you can’t deny children their rights.”
Ironically, KoSSev learned that some parents from the Brđani neighborhood who did participate in the census also lost their child benefits.
For now, many parents are stuck in limbo—waiting, hoping, and wondering if the next email will bring answers, or just more steps in a seemingly endless process.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
