The child supplement is intended to help parents with low incomes - together with child benefit - but not just the salary alone.
- The child allowance is intended to support families - in addition to child benefit.
- Especially in times of Corona, he could help many families.
- Parents can easily find out if they are eligible for the benefit.
What if the monthly income * is enough for you, but not for the whole family? In many cases, affected parents or legal guardians have the option of applying for a child allowance from the family benefits office of the Federal Employment Agency . According to a report by the German Press Agency, the child allowance is intended to support families with low incomes. In addition to income, there are a few other criteria.
Here are the answers to the most important questions:
How much is the child allowance?
"The child allowance is a maximum of 185 euros per month and child, " says Ute Baum from the family benefits office of the Federal Employment Agency in the report. The additional money - together with the child allowance - is intended to cover the child's needs the child allowance in the months of January to May 2020 averaged 140 euros per child and month, reports dpa.
Read here: Child benefit should increase in 2021: This is how much money parents should get for their children
Who gets the child allowance?
According to the report, whether and in what amount the surcharge is paid is calculated individually for each family. An important criterion is income. As a small income , according to the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs an income of about 1,600 to about 3,300 euros applies as dpa reported at a couple family with two children (six and eight years old) and housing costs from 700 euros.
However, it is not just a matter of income : Factors such as housing costs , family size and the age of the children also play a role - as do realizable assets. The latter includes everything that can be turned into money, but for example home ownership that is not used, the experts are quoted as saying.
What are the other requirements for child allowance?
The child must be younger than 25 years of age and live in the household of the parents or legal guardian. According to the report, there is one more requirement: the parents receive child benefit and must have a gross monthly income of at least 900 euros or, as a single parent, of at least 600 euros. Another prerequisite: the applicant would have enough income with the child supplement to cover maintenance for himself and his family.
How long is the benefit granted?
Usually for six months, reports dpa. “After that, the service must be applied for again,” explains the expert in the report. For the period from April 1 to September 30, 2020 , however, a so-called emergency child allowance applies due to the corona * , according to which the parents who receive the child allowance and receive the maximum rate of 185 euros per month receive an automatic extension of the benefit for a further six months .
Read here: Child bonus of 300 euros decided: When and how will the money be paid out to parents?
What else applies to child allowance in times of corona crisis?
"For applications made between April 1 and September 30, 2020, the income of the parents or legal guardians is not checked on the basis of the last six months, but only on the basis of the last month prior to the application," reports dpa. In addition, according to the report, parents or legal guardians would no longer have to provide information on assets in this situation, provided they do not have significant assets.
Another tip: Families can also easily check from their home PC whether they are eligible for child allowance . This works with the so-called KiZ pilot of the family benefits office of the Federal Employment Agency. If it turns out that a claim is very likely, parents could apply for the child allowance quickly and unbureaucratically from the family benefits office, reports dpa. (ahu) * merkur.de is part of the Ippen central network.
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