Source: BUS Sachsen-Anhalt (Linie6PLus)

Apply for child allowance

Description

The child allowance is a benefit for families with low incomes. The child allowance supports your family if you have a small income and cannot or only just cover the needs of the entire family.

You are entitled to a child allowance for your children under the age of 25 if:

Your child(ren) is not married or in a civil partnership and lives in your household,
you receive child benefit for the child or are not entitled to child benefit only 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 threshold (the so-called minimum income threshold) and
your income, which is credited to the child supplement, is not so high that the child supplement is reduced to zero, and
You do not have significant assets

The amount of the child supplement is a maximum of EUR 250.00 per month per child. If your income is higher than your needs as a parent, the child allowance is reduced. The income of your children is also taken into account, for example if your children receive alimony, advance maintenance or half-orphan's pension.

The child allowance is granted for 6 months at a time. After 6 months, you will need to submit a new application.

The following are counted as income:

45 percent of your child's own income, e.g. alimony, maintenance advance or half-orphan's pension,
45 per cent of parents' income from employment or self-employment that exceeds their own needs,
Compensation benefits such as unemployment benefit, short-time work allowance or sickness benefit,
Parental
pensions from social security,
capital and interest income,
income from renting and leasing, and
Maintenance payments (spousal maintenance).

Since 1 January 2020, you can also receive the child allowance if you do not remain more than EUR 100.00 per month below the citizen's allowance entitlement with your earned income, child allowance and housing benefit.

INFO:

If you receive child allowance or housing benefit, you can receive benefits for education and participation for your children. In addition, you can be exempted from the KiTa fees.

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

The child benefit office offers a video consultation through which you can ask questions about the child allowance from home. You can make an appointment for a video consultation online or by calling 0800 4555530.

Requirements

In order to receive a child allowance, the following requirements must be met:

Your child(ren) is/are younger than 25 years of age, are not married or in a partnership and live in your household.
You receive child benefit or a comparable benefit for your child(ren), for example from abroad.
You have:
- as a couple together with a gross income of at least EUR 900.00 per month (excluding housing benefit, child benefit and child supplement) or
- as a single parent over at least EUR 600.00 per month.
Your income, which is deducted from the child allowance, is not so high that the child allowance is reduced to zero.
They do not have significant assets.
As a rule, you can receive the child allowance if you can cover the needs of the whole family within the meaning of SGB II with your income, child benefit, any housing allowance to which you may be entitled and the child allowance.
Child allowance is subordinate to other possible income of the child; if necessary, there is an obligation to seek priority claims such as maintenance or advance maintenance.

Which documents are required?

Application for child allowance, including the applicant/partner annex and the child annex
Proof of income
Declaration of Assets
Proof of housing costs
if necessary, further documents and evidence

What are the fees?

None

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

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

Who should I contact?

You can find the family benefits office responsible for you via the office finder on the website of the Federal Employment Agency.

Appeal

Forms available: Yes
Written form required: Yes
Informal application possible: No
Personal appearance required: No
Online services available: Yes

Process flow

You can apply for the child allowance in writing using the form provided. In this case, please send the signed application by post to your local family benefits office.
You also have the option of filling out the application online. In this case, you can upload the evidence directly; the data will then be transmitted directly to the child benefit office.

For an electronic application with an 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 need either
- the new identity card with online ID function, or
- the eID card for EU citizens and nationals of the European Economic Area, or
- an electronic residence permit, or
- an ELSTER certificate
Fill out the online application and upload the necessary evidence.
The online application and the uploaded supporting documents will be sent to the Family Benefits Office.
It is no longer necessary to submit a written application by post to the child benefit office.

For an analogue application:

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

Go to the website of the Family Benefits Office of the Federal Employment Agency and call up the online application
Print out the completed application or have it printed out and sent to the Family Benefits Office.
You can also print out the application form directly and fill it out by hand.
Submit the signed application documents
and submit the necessary evidence to the child benefit office. You can also obtain the form from your responsible
Family fund.
You can also have the application documents sent to you in paper form for filling.
You will receive the notification of your application by post.

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

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 need either
- the new identity card with online ID function, or
- the eID card for EU citizens and nationals of the European Economic Area, or
- an electronic residence permit, or
- an ELSTER certificate.
Fill out the online change notification directly on your computer and upload the necessary evidence.
The notification of change and the uploaded evidence will be sent directly to the child benefit office.

Communicate changes analogously:

If you do not wish to notify changes electronically, you can have the change notification completed online sent to you or print out the form yourself. Please sign and send it by post to your local 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 the child benefit office.
You can also print out the change notification directly and fill it out by hand.
You can also obtain the form from your local family fund.