Parental benefits
Parents will get the parental benefit, if they:
- supervise their children for a maximum time period of 14 months after they were born
- do not work more than 30 hours during their parental leave
- live together with their child in one household
- have a residence or their usual centre of living in Germany
Besides the basic parental benefit (parental benefit) there is since 2015 the parental benefit plus available.
Basic parental benefit
If both parents are not able to work because of the necessity to supervise their child, then the basic parental benefit is granted for the duration of 14 months for both. These months can be divided between both parents freely. One of the parents can make use of the benefit for at least 2 months and for a maximum of 12.
Single parents who get the parental benefit can make use of the parental benefit for the full 14 months. Parents can only get the basic parental benefit within the first 14 months of life of their child. After that, they can only get a parental benefit plus or the partner bonus.
Parental beneift plus
The parental benefit plus aims to facilitate the compatibility of occupation and family for parents who want to work part-time again, for as long as they get the regular parental benefits. Mums and dads have therefore the possibility, longer than before, to take advantage of the regular parental benefit.
Parental benefit plus can be received twice as long as the regular parental benefit: One month parental benefit equals two months parental benefit plus.
If parents do not work after their child was born, then the parental benefit plus is only half as high as the monthly parental benefit including part-time.
Partnership bonus
Parents get a partnership bonus, who share the supervision of their child while receiving the parental benefit and at the same time work in part-time between 25 and 30 hours per month: They get four extra months of parental benefit plus. Single parents are entitled to the total partnership bonus.
All parents are entitled to parental benefit, no matter if they were working before the birth of their child or not. The amount of the parental benefit is dependent on the income.
Parents with a higher income get 65%, and parents with a lower income up to 100% from their prior income.
Depending on the income, the parental benefit is between €300 and €1800 per month. The parental benefit plus is between €150 and €900 per month.
All parents who, after the child was born, supervise it them-self and work a maximum of 30 hours per week, receive the minimal parental benefit. Also those are concerned who were not able to work because of the supervision of older children, such as students, housewives, housemen and parents.
With an online calculator for parental benefit you can determine the amount of the parental benefit yourself. You can use this link for the online calculator. LINK
The parental benefit has to be applied for in written form. Please contact your competent office for parental benefits.