Federal parental allowance and state parental allowance

With parental allowance, the state supports fathers and mothers and their young families by replacing lost earned income. Parents who primarily want to look after their child themselves after the birth and are therefore not or not fully employed are entitled to this.

Who receives parental allowance?

Parental allowance is available for employees, civil servants, self-employed and unemployed parents, students and trainees, for couples as well as for separated and single parents. In addition to biological parents and adoptive parents, relatives up to the third degree, such as grandparents or siblings, can also receive parental allowance in exceptional cases.

Parents are entitled to parental allowance if they

• look after and bring up their children themselves after the birth,

• do not work more than 32 hours a week,

• live with their children in the same household and

• have a place of residence or habitual abode in Germany.

For births from 1 April 2024, couples and single parents are not entitled to parental allowance if their taxable income in the last completed assessment period before the birth was more than 200,000 euros. The income limit for births up to 31 March 2024 is 300,000 euros for couples and 250,000 euros for single parents. For births from 1 April 2025, the income limit for couples and single parents is 175,000 euros.

New regulations for births from 01.04.2024:

• Income limits (see above)

• Simultaneous receipt of basic parental allowance by both parents only possible for a maximum of one month of life

• One parent can receive Basic Parental Allowance or Parental Allowance Plus and the other parent can receive Parental Allowance Plus at the same time

• Exceptions apply to multiple births, premature births, newborn children with a recognised disability and in cases where a sibling with a disability is entitled to the sibling bonus

Further regulations at a glance:

• Maximum working time limit 32 hours per week

• Partnership bonus months

  • Part-time work between 24 and 32 hours per week

  • Benefit period of at least two and a maximum of four consecutive months of life

• Additional parental allowance months for children born particularly early

  • Birth at least six weeks before the expected date: one additional month of basic parental allowance

  • Birth at least eight weeks before the expected date: two additional months of basic parental allowance

  • Birth at least twelve weeks before the expected date: three additional months of basic parental allowance

  • Birth at least sixteen weeks before the expected date: four additional months of Basic Parental Allowance

• Receipt of Parental Allowance Plus up to a maximum of the 32nd month of life

• It is possible to waive the exclusion of months in the assessment period for non-self-employed persons, e.g. months with maternity benefit, if unfavourable for calculating parental allowance

Further information on Parental Allowance and Parental Allowance Plus:

Apply for parental allowance online

Since 25 March 2024, applications for parental allowance in Saxony can be submitted online again at www.elterngeld.sachsen.de. The online application is possible with a free registration, but this is not mandatory.

The online application offers specific help functions, explanations and a checklist for individually required documents. These documents can be uploaded. The online application also offers targeted guidance through the application (the application "thinks" with you).

BMFSFJ brochures on parental allowance and parental leave

Application

Further information can be found in the service portal:

State child-raising allowance

Parents who live in the Free State of Saxony can receive a state child-raising allowance in addition to the federal parental allowance.

Mothers or fathers are entitled to state child-raising allowance if they

• have their main place of residence or habitual abode in the Free State of Saxony,
• live in a household with a child for whom they have custody and are caring for and bringing up this child themselves,
• have no or no full-time employment (part-time work of up to 30 hours per week is permitted),
• do not make use of a state-funded place in a child day care centre or subsidised child day care for the child entitled to the benefit,
• fulfil the other requirements for receiving federal child-raising allowance.

Increase in the income limits for Saxon state child-raising allowance

As part of the Budget Accompanying Act 2019/2020 (Saxon Law and Ordinance Gazette, issue 18/2018), amendments were also made to the Saxon State Child-Raising Allowance Act.

The income limits have increased

• to €24,600 (previously: €17,100) for spouses who are not permanently separated or for parents in a marriage-like relationship and civil partners
• for other beneficiaries to €21,600 (previously: €14,100).

Please note:

These values already apply to children who were born or adopted from 1 January 2018 or who were taken into the entitled person's household with the aim of later adoption as a child. If the entitled persons have not yet submitted an application for state child-raising allowance due to the lower income limits, they may still be able to do so (depending on the intended start of benefits, taking into account the one-month retroactive period). The application can be submitted at the earliest three months before the start of the selected benefit period.

Application

Further information can be found in the service portal: