OPEKA: The online platform for child benefit has opened

‘It opened on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, the A21 Online Platform – Child Allowance, so that eligible recipients who had not submitted their applications by March 11, 2022—when the platform closed—could do so.

As stated in a statement Organisation for Provident Benefits and Social Solidarity (OPEKA), benefit recipients will be able to submit the application on the IDIKA platform (idika.gr) or through the opeka.gr website, using the beneficiary's personal passwords to access the TAXISnet.

OPEKA clarifies that a further announcement will be made regarding the closure of the online platform, as well as the disbursement of the additional emergency aid to beneficiaries.

The amount to which beneficiaries are entitled will be calculated based on the dependent children reported on Form A21 for 2022 and the total family income that beneficiaries had during the 2021 tax year.

Until the current year’s income tax return is filed, income from the 2020 tax year will be taken into account when calculating the amount due.

The online platform for the submission of the A21 application allows, through extensive electronic cross-checks with available databases of other institutions and services, to verify the accuracy and correctness of the data and information declared at the application stage.

In order for the allowance to be granted, the application must be submitted in its final form and have been approved. A temporarily saved application is considered not to have been submitted and will not be taken into account.

Four Helpful Questions and Answers About the Application

At the same time, OPEC, in an effort to help citizens properly complete their applications, provides four key FAQs, which are as follows:

«Q: On the pre-filled A21 application, my child is listed without a name (female or male), and the platform won't let me add the name. What should I do?";

Answer: If the child’s name has already been registered in the AMKA system, you must cancel the A21 application and submit a new one. If the child still appears without a name after canceling the application, you must go to a KEP and register your child’s name with the AMKA. Then, cancel the A21 application again and submit a new one.

Q: Dependents are not being recognized because the children’s last names do not match their AMKA numbers. What should I do?;

Re: Please note that when adding a child, only the child’s last name (not their first name) and their AMKA number are entered. If the identification issue persists, beneficiaries should verify the full details of the dependent child in the AMKA online application (www.amka.gr) and/or contact a KEP to correct any errors in the AMKA electronic registry. Most likely, the last name next to the AMKA on the platform was entered differently than how it is recorded in the AMKA registry. Next, the A21 application must be canceled, and a new application must be submitted definitively so that the corrected information can be retrieved again from the AMKA registry.

Q: The app is asking for my child’s tax ID number, but it won’t let me enter it and is directing me to the KEPs. What should I do?;

Answer: For children born in 2004 or later, a Tax Identification Number (AFM) is not required. However, for children born in 2003 or earlier, an AFM is mandatory. If this Tax Identification Number has not been entered in the AMKA registry, then citizens are referred to a KEP to update the AMKA registry with the corresponding Tax Identification Number (AFM), as the AMKA registry cannot be updated via the A21 application. Next, the saved A21 application must be canceled, and a new one must be submitted definitively so that the corrected information can be retrieved again from the AMKA registry. If you know that the child’s Tax Identification Number (AFM) has already been entered into the AMKA system, simply cancel the A21 application and submit a new one definitively.

Q: Although my child’s Tax Identification Number (AFM) has been entered into the AMKA registry as of today, the application still cannot be submitted and is flagged in the system. Is there anything else I need to do?;

Re: The AMKA is updated with the AFM immediately. Cancel the application and submit a new one definitively so that the AFM can be retrieved again from your child’s AMKA.

Those seeking additional information can refer to the set of frequently asked questions and answers on child benefit on the OPEKA website.