Apply for parental allowance
Source: BUS Rheinland-PfalzParental allowance is a benefit for parents of infants and young children. It replaces part of the lost income if you want to be there for your child after the birth and interrupt or reduce your work. Parental allowance is also available for parents who had no income at all before the birth.
There are three types of parental allowance:
- Basic parental allowance
- Parental allowance plus
- Partnership bonus
Parental Allowance Plus and the partnership bonus provide particular support if you share the work and family responsibilities as partners after the birth.
You can also apply for the various options if you are a single parent. Parental allowance is also available for adopted children and children in foster care.
As parents, you can decide for yourself who receives parental allowance and for how long. In the application, you must specify the months of your child's life for which you would like to apply for parental allowance and which parental allowance variant you choose.
The amount of parental allowance is calculated individually. The calculation is based on the income you had before the birth and which ceases after the birth. If you had no income before the birth or no income after the birth, you will receive a minimum amount. For Basic Parental Allowance, this is at least EUR 300.00 per month, and for Parental Allowance Plus, it is at least EUR 150.00 per month.
Tip: You can use the parental allowance calculator from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs to help you plan and calculate.
Births from 01.09.2021:
There are two options for children born from 01.07.2015:
Basic parental allowance:
Entitlement for both parents for a total of 14 months of life from birth. If both parents apply for parental allowance, one parent must apply for at least two months of parental allowance in order to be entitled. If only one parent applies for parental allowance, a maximum of 12 months of parental allowance can be claimed (different conditions apply for single parents).
Parents of premature babies receive additional months of parental allowance.
Employed persons, civil servants, self-employed persons, trainees, students, adoptive parents and unemployed parents are entitled to parental allowance.
Anyone who works more than 32 hours per week is not entitled to parental allowance.
Benefits such as maternity benefit from the health insurance fund, employer's allowance or pay (for civil servants) are offset against parental allowance; no parental allowance is paid for these periods, and parental allowance is paid subsequently.
Parental allowance plus:
One parental allowance (basic) month becomes two parental allowance plus months.
A combination of Basic Parental Allowance and Parental Allowance Plus is possible, however, months after the birth for the duration of the maternity protection period, in which maternity benefits, employer's allowance for maternity benefits or remuneration (civil servants) are paid, must only be applied for as basic months.
Amount of Parental Allowance Plus:
Like the previous parental allowance, Parental Allowance Plus replaces between 65% and 67% of the lost net income. The minimum amount is 150 euros, the maximum 900 euros.
The maximum amount of Parental Allowance Plus is half of the monthly parental allowance to which parents without part-time income would be entitled. It is paid for double the period.
Employed persons, civil servants, self-employed persons, trainees, students, adoptive parents and unemployed parents are entitled to it.
Anyone who works more than 32 hours per week is not entitled to parental allowance.
Benefits such as maternity benefit from the health insurance fund, employer's allowance or pay (for civil servants) are deducted from parental allowance; no parental allowance is paid for these periods and parental allowance is paid subsequently.
Partnership bonus months:
If both parents work between 24 and 32 hours per week for 2 to 4 months, they receive four additional months of parental allowance.
Multiple births:
Parents of multiple births are entitled to one parental allowance per birth and receive the multiple birth supplement of 300 euros for the second and each additional multiple birth child. This regulation applies to births from 01.01.2015.
Application:
After the birth, you will receive a parental allowance application form at the hospital.
The application must be submitted in writing. Approval can be granted retroactively for a maximum of 3 months (but from birth at the earliest).
Documents to be submitted:
- Parental allowance application *
- Declaration of income*
- Birth certificate of the child *
- Tax assessment notice from both parents from the year before the birth of the child *
- 12 proofs of earnings before the birth (for working mothers before the maternity protection period) of the child
- Parental leave certificate from the employer
- Certificate from the health insurance fund confirming payment of maternity benefit
- Proof of earnings from the maternity protection period regarding the maternity allowance supplement
The documents marked with * must always be submitted, the others only by employees. Self-employed persons must always submit their tax assessment from the calendar year prior to the birth of the child.
Application forms and further information are also available on the website of the Ministry for Integration, Family, Children, Youth and Women:
www.mifkjf.rlp.de
www.Elterngeld-plus.de
www.Familienportal.de
Since 08.07.2019, mothers and fathers from Rhineland-Palatinate can use the application assistant!
ElterngeldDigital is available on the homepage of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) atwww.elterngeld-digital.de .
If you have any questions about using the application assistant, the BMFSFJ has set up the "Parental Allowance Digital Service Hotline", which can be reached Monday to Thursday from 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. on 030 / 34047010.