Administrative services A-Z

The child supplement is a benefit for families with a low income. The child supplement will support your family if you have a low income and cannot cover the needs of the whole family or can only just cover them.

You are entitled to child supplement for your children under the age of 25 if

• Your child/children are not married or partnered and live in your household,
• you receive child benefit for the child or are only not entitled to child benefit because you receive another comparable state benefit that excludes child benefit,
• you have enough income for yourself and can cover your family's needs with the child supplement,
• your monthly income reaches a minimum limit (the so-called minimum income limit) and
• your income, which is offset against the child supplement, is not so high that the child supplement is reduced to zero and
• you do not have any significant assets

The maximum amount of the child supplement is EUR 292.00 per month per child. If your income is higher than your needs as parents, the child supplement will be reduced. Your children's income is also taken into account, for example if your children receive maintenance, advance maintenance or a half-orphan's pension.

The child supplement is granted for 6 months at a time. After 6 months, you must submit a new application.

The following are taken into account as income

• 45% of your child's/children's own income, for example maintenance, advance maintenance or half-orphan's pension,
• Parents' income from employment or self-employment that exceeds their own needs at 45 percent,
• income replacement benefits such as unemployment benefit, short-time working allowance or sickness benefit,
• parental allowance,
• pensions from social insurance,
• capital and interest income,
• income from letting and leasing and
• Maintenance payments (spousal maintenance).

Since 01.01.2020, you can also receive the child supplement if your earned income, child supplement and housing benefit are not more than EUR 100.00 per month less than the citizen's allowance entitlement.

INFO:

If you receive child supplement or housing benefit, you can receive benefits for education and participation for your children. You can also be exempted from KiTa fees.

The KiZ-Lotse will help you to check quickly and easily whether you are eligible for child supplement. You can find the KiZ-Lotse on the website of the Family Benefits Office of the Federal Employment Agency under the navigation "Family and children".

The Family Benefits Office offers a video consultation service, which you can use to ask questions about the child supplement from home. You can make an appointment for a video consultation online or by telephone on 0800 4555530.

To receive a child supplement, the following conditions must be met:

• Your child/children is/are under the age of 25, not married or partnered and lives in your household.
• You receive child benefit or a comparable benefit for your child/children, for example from abroad.
• You have
  • as a couple, you have a joint gross income of at least EUR 900.00 per month (excluding housing benefit, child benefit and child supplement) or
  • as a single parent at least EUR 600.00 per month.
• Your income, which is offset against the child supplement, is not so high that the child supplement is reduced to zero.
• You do not have any significant assets.
• As a rule, you can receive the child supplement if your income, child benefit, any housing benefit you are entitled to and the child supplement can cover the needs of the whole family within the meaning of SGB II.

• Child supplement is subordinate to other possible income of the child; there may be an obligation to apply for priority claims such as maintenance or advance maintenance payments.

• Application for child supplement, including the applicant/partner annex and the child annex
• Proof of income
• Declaration of assets
• Proof of housing costs
• Further documents and evidence, if applicable

You can apply for the child supplement in writing using the form provided. In this case, please send the signed application by post to your responsible family benefits office.
You also have the option of completing the application online. In this case, you can upload the supporting documents directly; the data will then be sent directly to the family benefits office.

For an electronic application with electronic proof of identity:

• Go to the website of the Family Benefits Office of the Federal Employment Agency and call up the online application. For authentication, you will need either
  • the new ID card with online ID function or
  • the eID card for EU citizens and nationals of the European Economic Area or
  • an electronic residence permit.
• Fill out the online application and upload the necessary documents.
• The online application and the uploaded documents will be sent to the family benefits office.
• It is no longer necessary to submit a written application by post to the family benefits office.

For an analog application:

If you do not wish to make use of electronic application, you can alternatively have the online application sent to you for signature or print out the application yourself. In this case, please send the signed application by post to your responsible family benefits office.

• Go to the website of the Family Benefits Office of the Federal Employment Agency and call up the online application form
• Print out the completed application form or have it printed out and sent to you by the family benefits office.
• You can also print out the application form directly and complete it by hand.
• Submit the signed application documents
  and the required supporting documents to the Family Benefits Office. You can also obtain the form from your local
  family benefits office.
• You can also have the application documents sent to you in paper form.

You can report important changes in your personal circumstances via the Family Benefits Office website.

Communicate changes electronically:

• Go to the website of the Family Benefits Office of the Federal Employment Agency and call up the notification of change. For authentication, you will need either
  • the new ID card with online ID function or
  • the eID card for EU citizens and nationals of the European Economic Area or
  • an electronic residence permit.
• Fill in the online notification of change directly on your computer and upload the necessary documents.
• The notification of change and the uploaded documents will be sent directly to the family benefits office.

Communicate changes in analog form:

If you do not wish to notify changes electronically, you can have the online notification of change sent to you or print out the form yourself. Please sign it and send it by post to the relevant family benefits office.

• Go to the website of the Family Benefits Office of the Federal Employment Agency and call up the notification of change.
• Print out the notification of change or have it printed out and sent to you by the family benefits office.
• You can also print out the notification of change directly and fill it in by hand.
• You can also obtain the form from your local family benefits office.

There is no deadline. Note: The child supplement is not paid retroactively, but at the earliest from the month of application.

• § Section 6a of the Federal Child Benefit Act (BKGG)

There are no indications or special features.

• KiZ-Lotse on the website of the Federal Employment Agency
• Information on the child supplement on the website of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs
• Information on the child supplement in the family portal
• Website of the Family Benefits Office of the Federal Employment Agency
• Video advice on the child supplement
• Completion instructions from the Federal Employment Agency for the child supplement
• Information sheet on the child supplement

Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ)