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Services for families

Families and single parents enjoy special protection in Germany and there are numerous regulations relating to pregnancy, birth, participation and family support. The most important regulations concern maternity, parental and child benefits.

  1. Working parents who earn very little but are not entitled to SGB II benefits can apply for child supplement.
  2. Anyone who receives child supplement, housing benefit or social benefits can receive benefits from the education and participation package. This support subsidizes participation in school trips, school excursions, school lunches, tutoring and the cost of school materials or travel expenses. Citizens' income also includes benefits for education and participation. Additional expenses can be claimed directly from jenarbeit.
  3. In exceptionally difficult times, e.g. in the event of separation or after the death of a parent, an advance maintenance payment or orphan's pension can be granted as a form of survivor's pension.
  4. Children and non-working spouses are insured free of charge under the statutory health insurance scheme.
  5. For each child, the mother is generally credited with 36 months of child-raising time in the statutory pension insurance.
  6. There are also tax breaks for families, e.g. the tax allowance for single parents and the child allowance. The majority of childcare costs can be claimed in the tax return.

Women with statutory health insurance receive maternity benefit during the protection periods before and after the due date. You can apply for this money from your statutory health insurance fund at the earliest 7 weeks before the expected date of birth.

Maternity benefit is only paid to women who are gainfully employed. The average net salary of the last 13 weeks of work is paid. The statutory health insurance fund pays a share of 390 euros, the difference is paid by the employer.

This means that part-time or mini-jobbers with monthly earnings of 400 euros also receive maternity benefit if they are covered by statutory health insurance. This also applies to working students.

If you are not compulsorily insured, you will receive a maximum of 210 euros maternity benefit from the Federal Insurance Office. Civil servants have no entitlement because they continue to receive their salary.

Even if you are no longer able to work before the start of the protection period, e.g. for health reasons, you will still be financially covered. Your doctor will give you a ban on working and you will still receive at least your average salary, which is then called maternity protection pay.

As parents who look after their child at home after the birth, you take parental leave. During this time, you forgo income. This is why you receive parental allowance, which compensates for the lack of income.

Parental leave can be taken by one parent for up to twelve months. The parents can split the parental leave between them, in which case the period during which parental allowance is paid is extended to a total of 14 months. Single parents can also claim up to 14 months for themselves.

The amount of parental allowance is calculated according to the net income that the parent in question received before the period of childcare. You apply for it after the birth of your child at your local parental allowance office.

If you were not employed during your pregnancy, you will receive a minimum amount. The parental allowance is then counted in full as income if you receive benefits according to SGB II or XII or child supplement.

However, if you receive benefits and were employed before the birth, you will receive a parental allowance allowance. This money is not counted as income and is therefore also available.

Parental allowance plus

Parents who wish to work part-time during the childcare period can receive Parental Allowance Plus. The period during which parental allowance can be claimed is then extended.

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Anyone living in Germany can receive child benefit for their children if they are entitled to it. Child benefit is paid in the amount of 192 euros per month for your first and second child. For every third child you will receive 198 euros, for every additional child 223 euros. In Jena, you apply for child benefit at the relevant family benefits office.

Child benefit is paid up to the age of 18 or, under certain conditions, up to the completion of education, up to a maximum age of 25. Under certain circumstances, you can also receive child benefit during a second course of education.

As an EU national or citizen of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, you are entitled to child benefit if your place of residence or habitual abode is in Germany.

As a citizen of another country, you can claim child benefit if you have a residence permit that entitles you to gainful employment. If this is tied to a specific purpose of residence, such as education or seasonal residence, you are not entitled to child benefit.

Familienzuzug zu Deutschen

Der Anspruch auf Familiennachzug zu einem Deutschen besteht allein zum Zwecke der Herstellung und Wahrung der familiären Lebensgemeinschaft und beschränkt sich deshalb auf die Kernfamilie.