Care Allowance for Relatives Caring for Elderly Family Members at Home

Pflegegeld for relatives: Legal support enabling families to take on elder care

When an elderly family member needs intensive care at home, German law provides support not only for the person in need of care, but also for the relatives who look after them. One of the most important instruments is Pflegegeld – a cash benefit designed to acknowledge and partly compensate the efforts of non-professional carers such as children, spouses or grandchildren.

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1. What is Pflegegeld?

Pflegegeld is a monthly cash benefit paid by the long-term care insurance fund (Pflegekasse). It is granted if the person in need of care is looked after at home by relatives or other informal carers rather than by professional services.

The money is paid to the person in need of care, who can then decide how to use it. In practice, it is often passed on – fully or in part – to the main caregiver as a form of recognition and financial compensation (bundesgesundheitsministerium.de).

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2. Eligibility criteria

To be entitled to Pflegegeld, the following core condition must be met:

• The person must have an officially recognised Pflegegrad (care level) between 2 and 5, as determined by the care or health insurance (pflege.de).

Further details on eligibility, scope and interaction with other systems can be found in information provided by care funds and the German Pension Insurance (deutsche-rentenversicherung.de).

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3. How much Pflegegeld is paid per care level?

The monthly amount of Pflegegeld depends on the Pflegegrad (as of 1 January 2025):

For Pflegegrad 1, there is no Pflegegeld, but beneficiaries can receive a relief amount (Entlastungsbetrag) of 131 €/month to finance low-threshold support services (pflege.de).

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4. How is Pflegegeld used in practice?

• Pflegegeld is paid into the account of the person in need of care, who is legally free to decide how it is spent.

• In everyday life, it is often passed on to the relative providing care (such as a spouse, child or grandchild) as a symbolic and financial compensation.

• Typical uses include:

  • compensating the time and effort invested in care,

  • covering additional household and living expenses caused by the care situation,

  • paying for smaller aids or informal support that are not covered by other benefits.

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5. Combining Pflegegeld with other benefits

• Pflegegeld can be combined with Pflegesachleistungen (in-kind benefits for professional home-care services). In such cases, this is called a combination benefit: part of the entitlement is used for professional services, and the remaining share is paid out as reduced Pflegegeld (ikk-classic.de).

• In addition, informal caregivers may benefit – if legal requirements are fulfilled – from:

  • contributions to the statutory pension insurance, credited for non-professional caregiving,

  • tax relief, for example via the care lump sum (Pflege-Pauschbetrag) of up to 1,800 € per year (de.wikipedia.org),

  • the right to take time off work for care (Pflegezeit, Familienpflegezeit), either short-term or long-term, without losing their job (de.wikipedia.org).

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6. Advantages of home care

Home care offers not only financial, but also emotional and social benefits:

• Many older people experience better mental and emotional well-being at home than in an institution, because they can remain in their familiar surroundings.

• They stay within their social environment, neighbourhood and family setting.

• Relatives often feel more at ease knowing that they themselves are actively involved in care and decision-making.

Pflegegeld creates a legal and financial framework that supports this home-based care – even though the true value of family care cannot be fully measured in money.

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7. How to apply for Pflegegeld

1. Assessment of Pflegegrad

   • The person in need of care or their authorised representative submits an application for long-term care benefits to the care fund (Pflegekasse).

   • The Medical Service (MDK/MD) or another assessment body examines the situation and assigns a Pflegegrad.

2. Confirmation of care needs

   • On the basis of the assessment report, the Pflegegrad is officially granted and the need for home care is documented.

3. Submitting the Pflegegeld application

   • A specific Pflegegeld application form must be submitted to the Pflegekasse. In many cases, applicants can state whether they want cash benefits only or a combination with in-kind services.

4. Retroactive payment

   • In many situations, Pflegegeld can be paid retroactively from the month of application or classification, provided the claim was submitted in time.

5. Regular quality visits

   • For people receiving Pflegegeld, regular advisory and quality visits by a professional care service are mandatory. They help to ensure a good standard of home care and to support relatives with advice.

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8. When does Pflegegeld stop?

Pflegegeld is usually discontinued when:

• the person in need of care moves permanently into a nursing home and receives full in-patient care,

• the Pflegegrad is reduced or withdrawn,

• the person in need of care dies.

The care fund informs the insured person or their relatives about the exact date when payments end.

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Summary

Pflegegeld is:

• a legally regulated cash benefit of up to 990 €/month, depending on the care level,

• available for people who are cared for at home by relatives or other informal carers,

• a tool to financially acknowledge and support the efforts of non-professional caregivers.

In addition, the long-term care insurance system offers:

• financial and organisational instruments to help maintain the independence of people in need of care,

• tax and social insurance advantages for family caregivers,

• more options to balance work and private life, for example through Pflegezeit and Familienpflegezeit.

The editorial team of this website strives to provide accurate information based on thorough research and the evaluation of different sources. However, errors may occur or certain details may be incomplete or not fully verified. Therefore, please treat the information in this article as an initial guide only and always contact the competent authorities for binding and up-to-date information.

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