Elterngeld
The parental allowance Elterngeld in Germany is a cash benefit independent of child benefit that is paid to mothers/fathers of children in the first 14 months (or longer) after the birth of the child. This benefit was introduced so that parents could concentrate solely on raising their young children and not have to work at the same time.
Who can apply for the parental allowance in Germany?
In order to receive German parental allowance, you must meet the following requirements:
1.The place of residence or permanent residence is the Federal Republic of German
In some situations, exceptions to this rule are possible. People who do not live in Germany can also apply for parental allowance. This applies to people who:
- work outside Germany as part of a job in a German company,
- work as volunteers in third world countries or on missions,
- have German citizenship and work in international organizations (e.g. the European Union) or in diplomatic structures.
2. The child lives in the same household as the applicant
In order to receive parental allowance for a child, the child must live in the applicant’s household.
- It is also possible to receive parental allowance for someone else’s child if one of the following conditions is met:
an adoption is planned, - the child is of the applicant’s life partner,
- the paternity recognition process is underway,
- the child’s parents are unable to care for the child due to illness, death or severe disability. In these cases, the family members up to the third degree of relationship (grandparents, great-grandparents, uncles, aunts and siblings) are entitled to the benefit.
3. The child has to be raised alone
Basically, you should raise your child alone. An exception is a situation where there is a valid reason why the child is currently not in the care of his or her parents.
4. Man cannot work full time
- We speak of part-time work when:
- the work is carried out for up to 30 hours per week,
- the work is carried out as part of vocational training, • the applicant works as a childminder in his/her household and has no more than 5 children under his/her care.
5. You cannot exceed the earning limit
If the income of a single mother or father in the calendar year before the birth of the child is more than 250,000 euros, there is no entitlement to parental allowance. This also applies to couples whose total income exceeds 500,000 euros.
How much is the parental allowance Elterngeld in Germany?
The German parental allowance is calculated based on the income of a parent who gives up work to raise a child. The net salary earned before the birth of the child is taken into account. The additional benefits such as unemployment benefit or scholarships are not taken into account when calculating the amount of parental benefit. For example, if your salary was previously between 1,000 and 1,200 euros, the parental allowance would be 67% of this amount. Those who earn more receive proportionally less, but at least 65% of their current salary. The parental allowance limit is reached when income exceeds 2,770 euros. In this case, the parent receives the maximum rate of 1,800 euros. The salaries over 2,770 euros are not included.
The amount of parental allowance is around 300 euros per month for an average income.
If the salary is below 1,000 euros, the amount of parental allowance increases. For every € 20 under € 1,000, your parental allowance increases by 1%.
If there are at least two children in the family up to the age of 3 or three or more children up to the age of 6, the parental allowance increases by 10%, but at least by 75 euros.
In the case of multiple births, a subsidy of 300 euros is also paid for the second and each additional child.
Where can I apply for parental allowance in Germany?
The application for parental allowance must be submitted to the responsible office (varies depending on the federal state). The application does not have to be submitted immediately after the birth of the child. The parental allowance is repaid for up to three months. The period for which you are applying for parental allowance must be stated in the application. The selected period can be changed later without giving reasons.
For how long can you receive parental allowance in Germany?
According to the regulations, the entitlement to parental allowance exists from the birth of the child until the child turns 14 months old.
For other people’s children, you are entitled to parental allowance for a period of 14 months from the time you take care of the child, at the latest until the child reaches the age of 8. You can apply for a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 12 months. Both parents are entitled to parental allowance for a total of twelve months. The payment period for parental allowance can be divided between the partners. If you both receive parental allowance at the same time, the payment period is halved. This means that both receive parental allowance for 6 months. If the child’s mother received maternity benefit in the first two months. If you purchase maternity benefit, the parental benefit is only valid for 10 months.
Can I extend the period of receipt of parental allowance?
The extension of parental allowance is possible in the following cases:
A parent can extend the entitlement to parental allowance if care by the other parent would impair the well-being of the child or care by the other parent is not possible due to a serious illness or disability,
If your current salary has been reduced,
The child is raised alone and the legal guardian also has the right to choose the child's place of residence,
If the amount is halved, the parental allowance can be extended by twice the number of months.
What documents are required to apply for parental allowance Elterngeld in Germany?
Birth certificate,
Proof of the applicant's income in the last 12 months before the birth of the child,
Certificate from the health insurance company about the amount of maternity benefit and the reference period,
If necessary: Residence permit,
Copy of both parents’ identity cards,
Employer's consent to grant parental leave.
What is Elterngeld Plus?
In November 2014, the German Bundestag passed the Parental Allowance Plus Act. For children born from June 2015, you can also apply for Parental Allowance Plus (in addition to parental allowance).
The Parental Allowance Plus is intended to help young parents in particular to start working earlier. If you work part-time for up to 30 hours per week, you can receive Parental Allowance Plus for twice as long as traditional parental allowance. The amount is then half as high as for parental allowance without employment. Parents and single parents can benefit from this form of parental allowance. Instead of 14 months of parental allowance, you can receive parental allowance Plus for 28 months.
As an additional bonus for partners, Parental Allowance Plus can be received for a further 4 months if both parents worked part-time during this period. This also applies to single parents.
Parents have the option of combining parental allowance and parental allowance Plus, e.g. E.g.: The child’s mother is not employed for six months and receives traditional parental allowance during this time, then she starts working part-time and receives parental allowance Plus with a reduced benefit amount for the next 12 months. The father can in turn receive 2 months of parental allowance or 4 months of parental allowance Plus. The reverse is also possible if the father takes a longer break. Finally, both parents can receive Parental Allowance Plus at the same time for 4 months.
How do you calculate the amount of parental allowance?
If you would like to calculate the amount of parental allowance, you can use our parental allowance benefit calculator in Germany:
Where can I find parental allowance applications?
All relevant parental allowance applications and forms are available at TKTRANSLATE at Str. Staszica 12/1, Krosno/Poland. We are also happy to provide any information over the telephone +48697038006 or mail biuro@tktranslate.pl
We constantly take care of all the formalities for you and monitor the status of your parental allowance application in the German authority.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU!
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