To apply for child benefit, you will need some documentation and the Internet. In the meantime, child benefit applications are easiest to apply for child benefit online.
In Germany, there is now 250 euros in child benefit per month for each child. However, child benefit is not automatically transferred to the account by the Family Benefits Office of the Federal Employment Agency. First of all, the benefit must be applied for.
The best way to do this is online using the form on the website of the employment agency. There, parents will find step-by-step instructions on how to apply for child benefit.
Who is eligible: These parents can apply for child benefit
Child benefit can be applied for by all parents of children under the age of 18. The only requirement is that the child lives in his or her own household and is cared for by the applicants. The same applies to stepchildren or foster children, and grandparents or another guardian who cares for a child can also apply for child benefit. Anyone who lives abroad but pays unlimited taxes in Germany or is employed in Germany subject to social security contributions can also receive German child benefit.
The application for child benefit can now also be submitted online. (Symbolic image) © Imago
If the child is already of legal age, child benefit may still be paid. For example, when the child is studying or training for the first time. Even if the child has a mini-job on the side, parents can receive child benefit. The same applies to the transitional period between graduation and the start of training, provided that the period does not exceed 4 months. Child benefit will also continue to be paid in the event of an internship or voluntary service or in the event of unemployment.
Have documents ready: You will need these documents for the child benefit application
To apply for child benefit, you can use the online application of the Employment Agency. This is available in two forms: the child benefit application from birth and the child benefit application from 18. In addition, you can also apply for child allowance on the office's website or send notifications to the child benefit office, for example about changes of address or bank details.
For the child benefit application from birth, applicants usually only need their tax identification number. This is indicated in the course of the application, as well as the data of the parents and the child as well as information about the place of residence, siblings and a bank account to which the child benefit is to be paid.
For the child benefit application from the age of 18, parents also need proof that they are still entitled to child benefit for their child. This can be, for example, a certificate of enrolment of the course of study or the training contract.
Fill out the child benefit application: With ELSTER it should go faster
If you already use the ELSTER program for your tax return, you can also use it for your child benefit application. In the second step of the online application, applicants are given the opportunity to use the portal. This has the advantage that you are already officially identified via ELSTER, so you do not have to print out and sign the application again. Only those who receive a foreign connection cannot currently use ELSTER.
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Amount of child benefit: Payments higher than ever before
Currently, child benefit is higher than ever before. From 2020 to 2021, the payment for the first child was increased from 204 euros to 219 euros, and from 2021 to 2022 the sum remained constant. The 219 euros were given to beneficiaries for the first and second child, for the third there were already 225 euros and from the fourth child parents received 250 euros.
From January 2023, 250 euros will be paid out for each child. Since the turn of the year, a family with four children has received 1,000 euros in child benefit instead of 913 euros per month. On the website of the Family Benefits Office of the Employment Agency, families can use the free child benefit calculator to calculate their entitlement.
From 2025, child benefit will be abolished altogether. For this purpose, the much-discussed basic child benefit comes into force, the sum of which consists of a guaranteed amount and an additional amount. The guaranteed amount should be at least as high as the current child benefit.