With a view to curbing the excessive growth of the population and easing the physical, resource, environmental and other pressures, a family planning policy was introduced in the 1970s and 1980s and a national campaign was launched to promote “only one child for a couple”. In this context, hundreds of millions of families, both in urban and rural areas, have responded positively to national policy calls and have chosen to have only one child。
With reference to the data published in the seventh national census, the total number of families with one child in the country exceeds 180 million, while the demographic structure of the “421” family has led to the need for a couple to support four elderly persons and one child at the same time, with a greater burden of old age, medical care and daily life than in families with many children。
Of course, the state has not forgotten the sacrifices and contributions made by parents of children born only during family planning. With regard to single-child families, a system of policy guarantees covering various dimensions, such as cash subsidies, nursing leave and tax incentives, has been established。
It is regrettable, however, that a large number of eligible single-child families across the country are well informed about these benefits and welfare policies, even because of the lack of clarity about local rules, which ultimately leads to missing the time to claim benefits. This will be followed up by a comprehensive review of the local one-child allowance policy of 2026, with a clear description of the conditions, criteria and modalities of the allowance。
What benefits are available to families with only children
The parents of many family planning families with only one child mistakenly believe that the “one child allowance” is only a single sum of money, but in practice the cash benefits available to families with only one child usually consist of four different types and are paid toConditions for applicationThe standard amounts and modes of issuance vary. It is therefore more critical for families as sole children to understand these four types first。
First: incentives for parents with one child (health care for one child)
In the vast majority of regions of the country, family planning families who hold the honorary certificate for parents with only children can apply for this basic incentive. As a rule, parents of an only child receive a monthly bonus from the date the certificate is issued until the child reaches the age of 14 or 16 (and in some areas up to the age of 18), which is modest. For example, in the case of amboro creek county, the local policy provides for the payment of an exclusive child care fee of not less than $20 per month from the date of the certificate until the child is 16 years old。
Ii. Incentives for family planning upon retirement of parents of an only child in urban areas
Parents of a single urban child who is a participant in the basic pension insurance of an employee may, in accordance with the law, retire in accordance with the policy requirements of meeting the legal retirement age and the minimum contributory period. Upon retirement, family planning incentives can be claimed in addition to the basic pension entitlement from the following month. However, the criteria and manner in which the incentive fee is paid vary considerably from region to region。
Iii. Incentives for family planning families in rural areas
In the same way as family planning incentives are paid to parents who retire with one child in urban areas, parents with one child who are eligible for family planning in rural areas receive an incentive pension after reaching the age of 60. At present, the national base for this incentive is 960 yuan per person per year, and the rate of subsidy is higher in some areas or exclusively, depending on local policy。
Iv. Special assistance for family planning families
Family planning families are particularly targeted for special families with an unexpected disability or death of a single child, with relatively high rates of benefit. It is known that in 2026 the central minimum level of the special allowance for couples with a single child in urban and rural areas (more than three levels), who did not give birth after death or who legally adopted a child, was not less than 460 yuan per person per month (in the case of a disabled family with only one child) and 590 yuan per person per month (in the case of a family whose only child died), but the criteria vary from place to place。
Conditions for the application of 4 benefits, criteria for benefits, manner of payment
This is followed by a detailed breakdown of the eligibility conditions, the criteria and the manner in which the four subsidies are granted, taking into account local policies。
First: incentives for parents with only children
1 conditions for application: in general, three points must be met at the same time: first, the legal birth or legal adoption of a child; second, the child is under 16 years of age (some parts may be extended to 18 years of age); and third, the parents of an only child are in possession of the certificate of honour。
2 subsidy standard: there is no uniformity between different locations, such as heilong river, which provides for a minimum of $10 per month and shandong, which pays $5 per person per month。
(c) the manner in which the certificate of honour of the parents of an only child is issued: from the month in which it is received until the child reaches the age of 16 or 18, it is usually issued monthly or yearly. It should also be noted that this incentive is available to both parents。
Second: incentives for family planning upon retirement of parents with an only child in town
1 conditions for applying for this benefit: in general, parents of a single child must meet two conditions at the same time: first, they hold a certificate of honour for the parents of an only child; second, they reach the legal retirement age and are legally and legally required to retire。
2 standard of subsidy: the criteria for this family planning incentive are not uniform in different regions and there are differences in the manner in which it is paid. For example, in the above-mentioned sea, the local eligible parents retire with an incentive fee of $5,000 per person, which is awarded in one-time payment。
For example, in amboro creek county, the standard of a lump sum allowance for family planning for retired workers in enterprises is set at 2000 yuan。
In addition to this form of one-time distribution, a number of regions have introduced monthly family planning incentives for parents of one-child in urban areas, such as shenzhen, 260 yuan per month, 150 yuan per month in guangzhou, 200 yuan per month in foshan and 120 yuan per month in xiaan。
Third: incentives for family planning families in rural areas
1 conditions for eligibility: in normal circumstances, four conditions must be met to apply for this family allowance: first, rural households are defined as those of rural residents; second, only one child or two girls were born; third, between 1973 and 2001, there were no violations of family planning laws and policies; and fourth, 60 years of age or older. It should be added that there are slight differences in the rules governing the specific identification of civil status and birth records, which are in line with local policy requirements。
2 standard of subsidy: in rural areas, the criteria for award of family planning incentives are based on the principle of “national basis, local standard” and currently the basic standard set by the state is 960 yuan per person per year, or 80 yuan per month. Locally, however, the level of local economic development and the ability to afford finance have been appropriately increased, such as the shanghai rural incentive support standard of $2,100 per person per year。
3. The allowance is paid on an annual basis after the individual's declaration and level of review, and is usually paid directly to the bank account of the applicant by means of socialization。
Fourth: special assistance to family planning families
1 conditions for eligibility: in a similar vein to the third, family planning families should be assisted by four basic conditions: first, a husband and wife born after 1 january 1933; second, the woman is 49 years old or older (a single-parent family who is widowed or divorced, the man must be 49 years old); third, until 1 january 2016, only one child was born or legally adopted, and subsequently no more children were born or adopted; and fourth, no surviving or single child is legally recognized as disabled (illness, invalidity up to three levels and above). The rules governing the conditions to be met by the target are not uniform and need to be based on local policy。
2 standard of subsidy: the above mentioned criteria for special assistance for family planning families are set at the central level, but they are not the same in practice. In the case of heilongjiang, reference is made to the circular on raising the standard of support for family planning families under the special support system (2026). As of 1 january 2026, the rate of special assistance for families with a single child has been raised to $800 per person per month, and for families with a single child, to $600 per person per month。
3 distribution: family planning families'special support funds are issued mainly in the form of direct transfers to individual bank accounts, without cash or third-party transfers. It should be noted that some areas are distributed on a monthly basis and others on an annual basis, whichever is local。
It's not just cash benefits. Families with only children are entitled to these benefits
At this stage, the system of state-to-local policy guarantees for families with only one child is relatively sound, and not only subsidies are available, but also benefits such as the nursing leave system, individual income tax deductions, etc., also deserve our attention。
For example, the one-child care leave system, whereby a single child can apply for a nursing leave on the basis of a relevant certificate when the parent is hospitalized or unable to take care of himself/herselfBenefitsNo change; for example, a tax-specific surcharge, whereby families with only one child receive a flat deduction of $3,000 per month, reduces the tax burden。
Concluding remarks
In the light of the above, it is clear that for families that responded positively to the call of the national family planning policy in that year, the benefits, whether subsidized or exclusive, were not only tangible assistance but also recognition and care for the state's contribution to this group。
Family planning families are reminded that, due to differences in policy by-laws and procedures, eligible single children and parents can consult the village and street family planning services of the domicile in advance of the requirements, prepare documentation, household books, and the prosperity certificate for the parents of the one child, and complete the declaration as required, so as not to miss the claim deadline。
