Applying for benefits for caregivers in acute care situations and care leave in the social long-term care insurance
If you are working and a close family member is in acute need of care, you can stay away from work for up to 10 working days to organize the care of the family member. Your employer's consent is not required. The claim also exists in small companies with few employees. If you share care in the acute situation with other family members, you are jointly entitled to a total of 10 working days off from work.
The short-term leave from your work is intended to enable you, for example, to:
- to inform themselves about care services,
- organise a caring service or carer for the family member,
- To deal with administrative procedures and to submit applications.
If your employer does not pay you a salary for this period of acute care, you are entitled to a care allowance. It amounts to 90 percent of the lost net salary, but no more than 70 percent of the contribution assessment ceiling of the health insurance. You apply for the long-term care allowance from the care fund of your dependent family member. In addition, it pays you subsidies for health and long-term care insurance upon application.
Only employees subject to social security contributions can receive the long-term care allowance. If you are self-employed or civil servant or receive unemployment benefit II or III, you are not entitled to care allowance. If you are an entrepreneur in agriculture, you are entitled to farm assistance for up to 10 days instead of the care allowance. For more information, please contact your health insurance company.
According to the law, an acute care situation exists if it occurs unexpectedly, for example due to an accident or a stroke, or if an existing need for care suddenly worsens. In addition, a doctor must confirm that your family member in need of care is likely to be awarded care levels 1 to 5.
In addition to the time-out in acute cases, you can take full or partial leave from work for a maximum of 6 months in order to care for a close family member in need of care at home. This exemption is called care time. If you are no longer covered by your employer or family insurance during the care period and therefore voluntarily insure yourself, you can receive subsidies for health and long-term care insurance. You apply for this at the care insurance of the family member in need of care. The subsidy amounts to a maximum of the minimum contributions that you have to pay for voluntary health insurance and long-term care insurance. For more information, contact your family member's long-term care fund.
Process flow
In order to be released from work in an acute care situation and to receive care support money, proceed as follows:
- You inform your employer immediately of the absence from work and its expected duration. Upon request, submit the medical certificate to the employer stating the expected need for care of the family member.
- If you do not receive any remuneration from the employer during the break, you can apply for care support allowance from the care fund of the dependent family member.
- You can, for example, submit the application for care support by post and – with many care insurance funds – hand it in personally at the office or submit it online.
- With your application, you submit:
- the medical certificate of the expected need for care of the family member
- Employer's remuneration certificate
- The nursing care fund will examine your application and
- transfers your long-term care allowance to you.
To receive subsidies for health and long-term care insurance for the care period, proceed as follows:
- You claim care leave from your employer.
- You apply for the contribution subsidy from the care fund of the dependent family member.
- You can apply for a contribution subsidy for care leave, for example, by post and – with many care insurance funds – hand it in personally at the office or submit it online.
- The nursing care fund will examine your application and
- will transfer the contribution subsidy to you.
Requirements
- the person in need of care is a close member of the family, including:
- Grandparents, parents, in-laws, stepparents
- Spouses, life partners, partners in a cohabitation or civil partnership
- Siblings, spouses of siblings and siblings of spouses, partners of siblings and siblings of life partners
- Children, adopted or foster children, the children, adopted or foster children of the spouse or partner, children-in-law and grandchildren
- the person in need of care is a member of the German long-term care insurance
For the long-term care allowance:
- the acute care situation has occurred unexpectedly
- a doctor confirms that your family member is likely to be classified in care levels 1 to 5
- You have informed your employer of the short-term inability to work
- You will not receive any remuneration from the employer during the time off
For the contribution subsidy for care leave:
- You have claimed care leave from your employer
- You are no longer covered by your work or family insurance during leave of absence, but have voluntarily taken out insurance
- Your employer employs at least 16 people
Which documents are required?
For the long-term care allowance:
- medical certificate certifying the expected need for care of the family member
- Salary statement from your employer for calculating the long-term care allowance
For the contribution subsidy for care leave:
- Proof of the amount of your monthly contributions to health and long-term care insurance
What are the fees?
You do not have to pay anything for the application.
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
In acute care situation of up to 10 working days:
- You must inform your employer immediately of your absence and its expected duration.
- You must immediately apply for the long-term care allowance from the care fund or the care company of the family member in need of care.
For the contribution subsidy for care leave:
- You must give your employer written notice of the leave at least 10 working days in advance.
Processing duration
Processing usually takes about 2 to 11 business days.
For a quick processing and decision, your nursing care fund must have the necessary information and, if necessary, necessary documents complete and meaningful.
The nursing care fund decides on applications promptly.
Please note that the stated processing time is an average value of all care insurance funds. It may vary in individual cases.
The exact processing time also depends on the complexity of the individual case and can be extended accordingly. The same applies if documents or documents are sent by post to you or your nursing care fund.
Applications / forms
- Forms: yes
- Online procedure possible: Many care insurance companies offer an online procedure.
- Written form required: no
- Personal appearance required: no
Application for care allowance via the cash register navigator of the GKV-Spitzenverband
Appeal
- Contradiction
- Action before the Social Court
What else should I know?
You can also apply for the long-term care allowance and contribution subsidies for care leave if the family member in need of care is not legally insured but privately insured for long-term care. You then submit the respective application to the private insurance company with which the family member is insured.
Technically approved by
Federal Ministry of Health
Professionally released on
28.10.2021
Author
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
