Applying for parental allowance
Parental allowance is a benefit for parents of infants and young children. It replaces part of the lost income if you want to be there for your child after birth and interrupt or restrict your professional work. Parental allowance is also available for parents who had no income before birth.
Parental allowance is available in three variants:
• Basic parental allowance
• Parental allowance plus
• Partnership bonus
Parental allowance plus and the partnership bonus support you especially if you share gainful employment and family work after the birth.
Even if you are a single parent, you can apply for the different variants. For adopted children and children in adoption care, parental allowance is also possible.
As parents, you can decide for yourself who claims the parental allowance for which period. In the application, you must specify for which months of your child's life you would like to apply for parental allowance and which parental allowance variant you choose.
The amount of parental allowance is calculated individually. The calculation is based on the income that you had before the birth and that disappears after the birth. If you had no income before the birth or if there is no income after the birth, you will receive a minimum amount. In the case of basic parental allowance, this is at least EUR 300.00 per month.
Tip: As an aid for planning and calculation, you can use the parental allowance calculator of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs.
Process flow
The parental allowance must be applied for in writing after the birth of the child.
Information, explanations and applications as well as the parental allowance office responsible for the place of residence are also available on the website of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Social Affairs, Labour, Health and Equality.
Who should I contact?
In Lower Saxony, the responsibility lies with the districts, independent cities and the municipalities belonging to the region as well as in individual cases (on application) with large independent cities or independent municipalities in which your domicile or habitual residence is located. In cases of posting, secondment, transfer or secondment without residence in Germany, responsibility depends on your last place of residence in Germany or the registered office of the sending unit.
Requirements
You can receive parental allowance if you meet the following requirements:
- You look after and educate your child yourself,
- You are resident in Germany or usually reside here,
- You live with your child in a common household,
- You are either not employed at all or usually do not work more than 32 hours per week,
- With the limit of 32 hours per week, there are several special features, for example on vacation or when you study or do an apprenticeship.
- Their taxable income did not exceed EUR 250,000. For parent couples, the limit is EUR 300,000.
Which documents are required?
- Completed and signed application form
- Birth certificate or birth certificate of your child
Depending on your individual situation, additional documents may be required. Further information can be found in the application documents or can be obtained directly from the responsible parental allowance office.
What are the fees?
There are no fees.
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
You can only apply for parental allowance after birth.
It is best to apply within the first 3 months of your child's life, because parental allowance is paid retroactively for a maximum of 3 months of life.
Processing duration
Information can be obtained from the responsible parental allowance office.
Applications / forms
Forms available: Yes
Written form required: Yes
Informal application possible: No
Personal appearance required: No
Online services available: partially (depending on the federal state)
Appeal
- Contradiction
Further information on how to file an objection can be found in your parental allowance notice. - Action before the Social Court
Technically approved by
Lower Saxony Ministry of Social Affairs, Labour, Health and Equality
Professionally released on
10.01.2023
Author
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
