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DEPENDENT SPOUSE

Eligibility: A dependent spouse shall be a spouse whose occupational earnings, if any, do not exceed the lowest entry level of the United Nations General Service gross salary in force on 1 January of the year concerned for the duty station in the country of the spouse's place of work, provided that, in the case of the Professional category or above, the amount shall not at any duty station be less than the equivalent of the lowest entry level at the base of the salary system (G-2, step I, for New York).

Amount:

• Staff in the General Service and related categories: Spouse allowance established for the duty station;
• Staff in the Professional category and above and in the Field Service category: Salary and post adjustment at the dependency rates.

Note: An adjusted dependency benefit will be paid when the spouse's gross occupational earnings are less than the sum of the earnings limit and the appropriate dependency benefit. The adjusted benefit will be equal to the amount by which the sum of the earnings limit and the appropriate dependency benefit exceeds the spouse's gross occupational earnings.

Required documentation for proof of occupational earnings: Tax return, w-2 form or statement of earnings from the spouse's employer

DEPENDENT CHILD

• The child must be under the age of 18 years; or
• If the child is 18 years or older but under the age of 21 years, he/she must be in full-time attendance at a school or university (or similar educational institution);
• The staff member must provide main and continuing support for the child.

** If a child over the age of eighteen years is physically or mentally incapacitated for substantial gainful employment, either permanently or for a period expected to be of long duration, the requirements as to school attendance and age shall be waived.

Amount:

• Staff in the General Service and related categories: Children's allowance established for the duty station;
• Staff in the Professional category and above and in the Field Service category, effective 1 January 2007. The lower rates (in red) are applicable to staff who become eligible on or after 1 January 2007 while the rates in parentheses are maintained and will continue to be payable to staff who are already in receipt of such amounts prior to 1 January 2007:

Country	Currency	Children's allowance	Secondary dependent's allowance
Austria	Euro	2,113 (2,298)	781 (849)
Belgium	Euro	1,790 (1,947)	573 (623)
Denmark	Danish krone	13,574 (14,762)	3,924 (4,267)
France	Euro	1,591 (1,730)	528 (574)
French Guiana	Euro	1,591 (1,730)	528 (574)
Germany	Euro	2,134 (2,321)	765 (832)
Ireland	Euro	1,496 (1,627)	490 (533)
Japan	Yen	410,194 (446,106)	186,347 (202,661)
Luxembourg	Euro	1,790 (1,947)	573 (623)
Monaco	Euro	1,591 (1,730)	528 (574)
Netherlands	Euro	2,088 (2,271)	711 (773)
Switzerland	Swiss franc	3,461 (3,764)	1,542 (1,677)
United States and the rest of the world	United States dollar	1,780 (1,936)	637 (693)

Note: The child in the following cases may also be recognized as dependent: 

• Legal adoption of the child is not possible because there is no statutory provision for adoption or any prescribed court procedure for formal recognition of customary or de facto adoption in the staff member's country or country of permanent residence, then a child in respect of whom the following conditions are met;
• The child resides with the staff member;
• The staff member can be regarded as having established a parental relation with the child;
• The child is not a brother or sister of the staff member;
• The number of children for which dependency benefits are being claimed by the staff member under this subparagraph does not exceed three.

In addition:

• A staff member claiming a dependent must establish that he or she provides main and continuous support. This certificate must be supported by documentary evidence satisfactory to the Secretary-General, if a child: (i)   Does not reside with the staff member; 
  (ii)  Is married; or
  (iii) Is recognized as a dependent under the special conditions referred to above.

** In case of a staff member in the Professional category and above or in the Field Service category are not paid at the dependency rate on account of a dependent spouse, the staff member shall be paid at the dependency rate in respect of the first dependent child and receive a dependency allowance with respect to every additional dependant child.

SECONDARY DEPENDENT

Eligibility: A secondary dependent shall be the father, mother, brother or sister of whose financial support the staff member provides one half or more, and in any case at least twice the amount of the dependency allowance, provided that the brother or sister fulfills the same age and school attendance requirements established for a dependent child. If the brother or sister is physically or mentally incapacitated for substantial gainful employment, either permanently or for a period expected to be of long duration, the requirements as to age and school attendance will be waived.

A dependency allowance is payable in respect of only one secondary dependent. It is not payable for a secondary dependent if the staff member is already receiving dependency benefits in respect of dependent spouse.

Amount: As shown in the above table.

© 2004 United Nations Office of Human Resources Management - All rights reserved.