Most of us are pretty well informed about our legal obligations because life simply forces us to be, but people often don't inform themselves about the benefits and state reliefs to which they are entitled. These are specifically designed to support families and individuals. Two of the most popular state allowances are: child benefit and parental allowance or Elterngeld.
- Child Benefit (Kindergeld)
This is a monthly payment meant to assist parents with their ongoing child-related expenses. It is a legally determined allowance that no one can contest.
CONDITIONS: You must be employed and pay taxes in Germany, your children must live in Germany, within the European Union, or in a country that belongs to the European Economic Area, such as Switzerland or Norway. If your children are in a non-EU country, the benefit amount is quite low, ranging from 5-7 euros. Citizenship doesn't matter in the case of child benefit, but the child's residence state does. So, if your child lives in, for example, Bosnia and Herzegovina and has Croatian citizenship, you will not receive the EU-member rate. The usual waiting time is 6 to 7 weeks, but it varies depending on the number of applications at the time. However, don't worry, you get all payments retroactively from the date you submitted the application. The responsible institution is Familienkasse.
“If you have helped just one person in your life, then you have not lived in vain.” – Muhammad
- Elterngeld (Parental Allowance)
Parental support or allowance refers to financial help following a child's birth. Parental support compensates for the income lost when, after the birth of your child, you want to be available for your child and you have to stop or limit your professional activities. To receive parental support, you don't necessarily have to take parental leave, but you are only allowed to work to a limited extent.
You are entitled to parental support if the child has a residence in Germany or if one parent is or has been employed in Germany. The person who can receive parental support is:
- someone who doesn't work more than 32 hours a week during the months they apply for parental support,
- someone who takes care of and raises the child themselves,
- someone who lives with the child in a shared household, and
- someone who resides or usually stays in Germany.
The base amount of Elterngeld is 300 euros if you haven't worked in Germany for a significant amount of time beforehand; otherwise, incomes are calculated based on your pay slips.
GOOD INFORMATION IS WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD.
If you need help with filling out different state allowances such as:
– Child Benefit (Kindergeld)
– Kinderzuschlag (additional child benefit)
– Elterngeld (parental allowance)
– Familiengeld (family allowance)
– Wohngeld (housing benefit)
– Educational benefits and participation in educational activities
or if you don't have the time to do it on your own or if you want a professional to handle it, follow the link: www.your-integration.com/recommendations where we have expert, reliable, and verified individuals for you. Good luck!
