Child benefit subsidy: Many are entitled, only half access it
Created: 11/22/2022, 5:31 p.m
By: Stella Henrich
The child benefit surcharge is currently 229 euros and is available to families in need.
One wonders at the family fund.
Only a few families want the government supplement.
Munich - It sounds very unusual.
The state would like to distribute millions of euros, but hardly any beneficiaries want the money.
The money is the so-called child benefit surcharge.
Families in need receive up to 229 euros a month for each child.
But only "few families apply for the child benefit surcharge," says Karsten Bunk, head of the family fund at the Federal Employment Agency, now in the
picture.
The child benefit surcharge was introduced in 2005 as part of the Hartz IV reform.
It is available to families who have a regular but low income that is not sufficient to cover the living expenses of a family with children.
The lower limit is 900 euros for couples and 600 euros per month for single parents.
Anyone who has this much or less can apply for the supplement if there is at least one child living in their household who is under 25 years old and is not married.
The employment agency assumes that around 1.5 million children are entitled to the benefit, reports the
picture
.
Apparently, this transfer benefit is currently only paid to about half of the children.
According to Bild, the state paid out around 1.3 billion euros to 300,000 families with 730,000 children in 2021.
A number of families are entitled to the child benefit surcharge of currently 229 euros.
(symbol image) © ANTHONY PHOTOGRAPHY/imago
Child benefit supplement: Low-income parents are entitled
Low-income parents who wish to apply for the supplement must meet certain conditions.
On the one hand, they must receive child benefit, they must not be recipients of unemployment benefit II and the child must live at home.
The income of the past six months prior to the application is decisive for the application.
Parents who want to know whether they should submit an application can check this online themselves with the help of a guide on the employment agency's website.
The amount of the rent, for example, also plays a role in receiving the money.
Child benefit surcharge will be raised from 229 to 250 euros on January 1st
The maximum amount of the child supplement was increased to 229 euros per month on July 1, 2022.
A further increase is now to follow
on January 1, 2023
in order to alleviate the burden of inflation on families.
From then on, 250 euros
will land
on the account every month.
Parents with low household incomes benefit from the child supplement, as they can finance themselves but cannot meet all of the family's needs.
Despite this increase, the child protection association criticizes the increase in the child supplement as "insufficient".
The child benefit supplement is approved for a period of six months.
After that, you have to apply for it again.