Children over 18: Until then you have to pay maintenance
Created: 08/31/2022, 06:00
By: Carina Blumenroth
Parents are responsible for maintaining their children – even if they are over 18 and in vocational training.
However, there are also limits.
If you have children, you have to pay for them - this doesn't just end when you turn 18.
If children are in their first vocational training, then parents have to pay for the maintenance.
In return, however, the child must be goal-oriented and quick in the training.
Read here under which conditions you have to provide financial support to your adult children.
Children over 18: Parents are also responsible for maintenance if children no longer live in the household
In principle, children are entitled to maintenance if they are still going to school and are not married.
If the child is still living in the household of the father or mother, then the same rules apply as for underage children.
The maintenance depends on the income of both parents.
The Düsseldorf table applies in the age group from 18 years.
A fundamental difference, however, is that the child is no longer in need of care - this means that both parents have to pay cash maintenance.
These are calculated according to income.
The parent with whom the child lives in the household can offset the maintenance against board and pocket money.
Parents also have to pay maintenance for their adult children if they are in vocational training.
© Alexander Limbach/Imago
Maintenance for adult children who no longer live in the household
If a child no longer lives in the household with the parents, the child is entitled to a fixed needs rate that is independent of the parents' income.
This currently amounts to 860 euros (as of January 2022), which includes housing benefit.
If the parents are separated, they must pay for maintenance in proportion to their respective incomes.
Children over 18: Rest periods must be short
The transition between school, training and studies must be kept short.
The recovery time between school and the start of training or studies should not last longer than two months.
If a place at university is associated with a longer waiting period, the child must go to work in the meantime in order to earn at least part of their own livelihood.
An au pair stay or a voluntary social year do not necessarily have to be financed by the parents.
If the voluntary social year serves directly to prepare for a course of study or is used for general professional orientation, then parents are responsible for maintenance.
The situation is different with the au pair stay - this is not training in itself - but if the child is enrolled in a foreign university, there may be a claim for maintenance, as the portal
Finanztip shows
explained.
If the child then starts studying or starts an apprenticeship after the year abroad, then the parents are again responsible for maintenance.
Children in training: training salary is taken into account
In principle, children in vocational training are entitled to maintenance.
However, the training allowance is offset against the maintenance, only the travel expenses and a flat-rate training allowance of 100 euros per month may be deducted.
If children change their training occupation, then parents must continue to pay maintenance, this claim can also exist if the child has dropped out of university and then begins training.
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In some cases, parents also pay maintenance when the first vocational training is over
If a child first completes an apprenticeship and immediately follows up on a professional degree, then parents can also be responsible for maintenance for the second apprenticeship.
It can look different if there is too much time in between when the child has worked in the respective profession.
Then it may be that parents could not count on further education.
Even if the studies have nothing to do with the training, it may be the case that parents are still responsible for maintenance.
Finanztip
outlines a case in which a child first did a bank apprenticeship and then started studying to become a teacher – parents then had to pay maintenance for that.
Child support up to the master’s degree – Bafög must be applied for
If the child wants to do a master's degree after completing the bachelor's degree, then parents are still responsible for maintenance.
Parents do not have to pay for a possible subsequent doctorate.
Even a possible change of subject up to the second semester does not change the maintenance obligation.
Child benefit may be deducted from child support, but must then be made available to the children.
During their studies, children have to apply for Bafög, which is also counted towards maintenance.
Maintenance for adult children: self-support for parents increases
When children no longer live in the household, personal needs usually increase.
According to the
financial tip
, a personal requirement of 1,400 euros per month is assumed.
Based on the parents' added income, less self-support, the maintenance is then divided between both parents.
Ability of the parents has to be taken into account
As explained on the Haufe
website
, a possible maintenance obligation can be omitted if this cannot be expected of the parents due to their age or economic viability.
If the parents' income is so low that they cannot secure their own old-age provision, then they no longer have to finance their studies if the child has already completed an apprenticeship and could earn money in the profession learned.
Maintenance obligation for children over 18 - there is no standard solution
There is no universal solution as to when children are entitled to maintenance.
The individual case must always be examined, and there must also be proportionality.
For example, if a child is 18 years old and is doing an apprenticeship where the training allowance covers the maintenance requirement, it may be that parents no longer have to pay maintenance.
