Apply for an advance on maintenance for children of single parents
Description
You will receive the maintenance advance for your child if you bring him or her up in your household without another parent against whom the child is entitled to maintenance. However, this maintenance is not paid by the other parent or the person obliged to pay maintenance, or is paid incompletely or irregularly.
The centre of the child's life must clearly be in your household. You must not have married a new partner.
If the eligibility requirements are met, the maintenance advance will be paid to you until your child reaches the age of majority. The limitation on the duration of entitlement (previously a maximum of 72 months) has been lifted.
The amount of the maintenance advance depends on the amount of the minimum maintenance.
From 01.01.2023 the following amounts apply:
- for children up to 5 years 187.00 EUR per month
- for children from 6 to 11 years EUR 252.00 per month
- for children from 12 to 14 years EUR 338.00 per month
After reaching the age of 12, your child is entitled to maintenance only if one of the following conditions is met:
- You or your child will not receive a citizen's allowance.
- The maintenance advance can prevent your child from needing help.
- You have a gross monthly income of at least EUR 600.00 and receive supplementary citizen's allowance.
This ensures that, if necessary, all children receive a complete maintenance advance. At the same time, an important incentive is created for households that are not in need of assistance or could become independent of basic security benefits through their own earned income, to secure their own livelihood.
The maintenance advance is always paid at the beginning of a calendar month and can be applied for retroactively for one month.
The following conditions must be met for the granting of an advance on maintenance:
- Child support is not paid or is paid only incompletely.
- Your child is domiciled or habitually resident in Germany.
- The parent is a single parent (for example, also widowed).
- The parent and child must live in the same household.
- Foreign children are only entitled to certain residence permits.
- Application form
- In addition, depending on the individual case, the following is required:
- the birth certificate of the child in question
- the identity card of the single parent
- in the case of foreign children or parents: ID and valid proof of residence permit
- the maintenance title: current maintenance determination Maintenance deed, judgment, order
- in the event of separation of a marriage: divorce decree
- if applicable, letter from the lawyer about the time of the separation
- the current control card
- in the case of unmarried parents: acknowledgment or determination of paternity
- Proof of income via:
- Child benefit
- if applicable, half-orphan's pension
- if applicable, maintenance payments
- If applicable, notices of approval/discontinuation of benefits under the Maintenance Advance Act of other maintenance advance funds
There are no costs.
The maintenance advance can be granted retroactively for one month if the conditions were already met at that time.
- Objection (deadline: 1 month)
Contact the youth welfare office of your district or independent city.
Forms available: Yes
Written form required: Yes
Informal application possible : No
Personal appearance required: No
You can apply for an advance on maintenance in writing at the youth welfare office responsible for your place of residence. An electronic application is possible if the authority provides a corresponding online procedure.
The documents you need to submit depend on your individual case.
Upon receipt of your application, the maintenance advance office will check whether there is a claim. You will receive a notification of the decision from the maintenance advance office.
They are obliged to provide information that is necessary for the implementation of the Maintenance Advance Act. They must cooperate in establishing the paternity or residence of the other parent. For the entire period of receipt of benefits, you must immediately notify the maintenance advance office of any changes in circumstances.
There are the following indications:
- Children between the ages of 12 and the age of 18 are only entitled to an advance on maintenance if the child is not dependent on SGB II benefits or if the single parent earns his or her own gross income of at least EUR 600.00 in receipt of SGB II.
- The other parent must repay the maintenance advance to the maintenance advance office. If the debtor does not pay, the maintenance advance office can sue for and enforce the repayment.
Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ)
;Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Equality of the State of Saxony-Anhalt
19.06.2023;10.07.2023
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
