What is Elterngeld/Parental Allowance in Germany? How to Apply for it & more

Topics covered:

  1. What is Elterngeld/Parental Allowance
  2. Who is eligible for it?
  3. How to apply for Parental Allowance?
  4. Types of Parental Allowance
  5. How much Parental Allowance will I receive?
  6. What Parental Allowance looks like for an unemployed person
  7. Where can I get more advice about Parental Allowance?

What is Parental Allowance

In Germany, the Government offers money otherwise known as “Elterngeld” or “Parental Allowance” to help families with young kids. It is targeted towards parents who can’t work as much because they’re taking care of their children. However, even parents who didn’t have a job before their child was born can ask for this money.

Read more to find out how you can apply for the Parental Allowance.

Who is eligible for Parental Allowance?

The parental allowance is for your own kids and your partner’s kids, as well as foster and adopted children. Sometimes, you can even get it for your grandkids or nieces/nephews. But this only happens if the child’s parents can’t care for them.

To be eligible for parental allowance, you need to fulfil the following criteria:

  1. You look after your child from birth yourself.
  2. You do not work more than 32 hours of paid work per week while you are receiving the allowance. The number of hours before your child does not come into consideration. (you can receive the benefit even if you did not work before having a child).
  3. You live together with your child in the same house. You are a German / EU / EEA citizen, or you hold a permanent residence permit, or a residence permit that entitles you to work in Germany.
  4. You and your partner’s combined annual income does not exceed 300.000 euros (or 250.000 euros for single parents).

You can also claim parental allowance if you look after a child immediately from birth, even if it is not your own, and if you adopt a child (up to eight years old).

How to Apply for Parental Allowance

To get Parental allowance in your state, you will need to go to the parental benefit centre listed on elterngeld.net and fill out a form there. Some states like Bavaria and Saxony, do this online; in others, it will have to be sent by mail. Find the form and centre on familienportal.de.

On the form, you will have to state which parent wants the money and when. You will be able to change this once or twice. If you’re married or share custody, you will both need to sign the form. Remember to apply before your child is 14 months old to receive the Parental Allowance. Apply based on their age, not calendar months in order to not lose money. Also, make sure you apply on time. Payment of the parental allowance can take place retroactively, but only for three months. So, if you file your application too late, you may lose money.

Types of Parental Allowance

There are three types of parental allowance:

  1. Basic parental allowance
  2. Parental allowance plus
  3. Partnership bonus.

Basic Parental Allowance

The basic parental allowance is granted for a minimum of two months and can extend up to 12 months for instances where only one parent opts to avail of it. In cases where both parents decide to access parental allowance, a combined total of 14 months can be utilized over the course of the child’s initial months. If the child is born prematurely by at least six weeks, the duration for which parental allowance can be received is extended. Depending on the degree of prematurity, eligibility for parental allowance can be extended up to 18 months of the child’s life. The allocation of these months among parents is flexible and can be arranged concurrently, sequentially, or alternately. Additionally, single parents are entitled to an additional two months of allowance.

How much Parental Allowance will I receive with the “Basic” option

The amount of basic parental allowance you receive depends on how much you earned before your child was born. It can range from 300 to 1800 euros per month. Usually, it’s around 65% of your net income. If your income was low, you might get up to 100% of your net income. If you work part-time while getting parental allowance, this affects how much you’ll receive. They consider your income after your child is born. If you didn’t earn anything before your child was born, you’ll get the minimum amount. If you have other young kids or are having twins, you might get more.

For instance, let’s say a mom gets basic parental allowance for the first eight months after her child is born. Then, the dad gets it for the child’s ninth to 14th month. This adds up to 14 months of parental allowance used by the parents.

Parental Allowance Plus

The core difference between Basic and Parental Allowance Plus is the time duration. With parental allowance plus, you are able to extend your period of receipt. You can receive parental allowance plus for twice as long as basic parental allowance. If you decide not to work after your child’s birth, parental allowance plus amounts to half the basic parental allowance.

Parental Allowance Plus is most worthwhile if you decide to go back to work part-time.

This is because you will often get the same or almost the same amount as with the basic parental allowance, but for a longer period of time. This way, you can get more parental allowance than you would by working part-time and drawing the basic parental allowance. Parental allowance plus ranges between 150 and 900 euros per month.

Partnership Bonus

When both parents work together for 24 to 32 hours each week for a continuous period of two to four months, both parents can receive an extra four months of ElterngeldPlus payments. This additional benefit is applicable even if you and your partner are living apart.

Single parents are also eligible for this bonus if they work for 24 to 32 hours per week for two to four months.

How much Parental Allowance will I receive?

Use the Parental Allowance Calculator to see how much Parental Allowance you and your partner might receive. This is especially worthwhile to help you understand which type of Parental Allowance (basic or plus) is best for your family.

Note: The amount you receive is therefore based on your income over the 12 months immediately before the baby was born.

Here’s a quick breakdown to help you understand:

Previous monthly incomeAllowance (% of previous income)
Less than 1.000 euros67 – 100%
1.000 euros to 1.200 euros67%
1.200 euros to 1.240 euros67 – 65%
More than 1.240 euros65% (up to a maximum of 2.770 euros)

Credits to IamExpat.de

The minimum amount of parental allowance is 300 euros and the maximum amount is 1.800 euros monthly.

Parental Allowance for Unemployed People

If you have been unemployed for the last 12 months before your child was born/adopted then you are eligible to receive 300 euros as Parental Allowance from the Government.

Where can I get more advice about Parental Allowance?

The parental allowance centre in your state can help you with information about parental leave. You can locate the relevant centre for parental benefits on the website elterngeld.net. You can also reach out to an Adult Migration Service or a Youth Migration Service in your local area. Their staff can communicate in various languages and have expertise in migration and refugee matters. You can find one of their local offices on bamf.de. If you’re 27 years old or younger, you can look for a nearby Youth Migration Service at jugendmigrationsdienste.de.

P.S: Credits for information go to the German Familien Portal.

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