A piggy bank hung with a colorful string of lights
Finance & Law
27.10.2025 Sabrina Ludwig 22561

How to protect your Christmas bonus from garnishment!

If you have financial problems and debts and have already had your wages or salary garnished, you can still look forward to receiving your employer's Christmas bonus. This is because the Christmas bonus is protected from garnishment up to 780 euros.
 

In summary: Protect your Christmas bonus from garnishment

Christmas bonus has been protected against garnishment up to 780 euros since July 2025. Employers pay out the protected amount automatically.

In the case of account seizures, the seizure protection on the P-account must be increased by application. Special payments at the end of the year are also protected if they are paid between November and January.

How high is the garnishment protection for Christmas bonuses?

The regulations are clear: Christmas bonuses are unattachable up to half of the monthly allowance in accordance with section 850c (1) no. 3 ZPO in conjunction with section 850c (4) no. 1 ZPO. Since July 1, 2025, this amount has been a maximum of EUR 780 (section 850c (1) no. 3 ZPO in conjunction with section 850c (4) no. 1 ZPO).

Note tax deductions for Christmas bonuses

You must bear this in mind: Taxes and social security contributions are deducted from the 780 euros.

Automatic payout and garnishment protection - what employers need to do

The employer must determine how much of the Christmas bonus is non-garnishable and transfer it to the employee with the salary. This happens automatically and the employee does not need to worry about anything.

If this does not happen automatically, the person concerned must initiate a clarifying discussion with their employer.

Do you have an account seizure? Then do so:

However, if you have an account attachment, you should urgently increase the amount that cannot be attached to the attachment protection account (P account) by the amount of the Christmas bonus.

Just because you have a P-account does not mean that the garnishment-free Christmas bonus is protected.

"This is because the protected basic amount and other already certified allowances will generally not be enough to secure the extra Christmas bonus," the consumer advice center points out on its website.

For this purpose, the debtor must file a corresponding application with the enforcement court of the place of residence, which is a division of the local court.

Sample letter: Additional release of the Christmas bonus for a P-account

A sample letter (additional release of the Christmas bonus for a P-account) can be easily downloaded from the consumer advice center:

Sample letter: Additional release of the Christmas bonus

When does garnishment protection also apply to special payments?

Important: The special remuneration paid out at the end of the year does not necessarily have to be called Christmas bonus or Christmas gratuity in order to receive the additional attachment protection. It is sufficient if the payment is made in connection with Christmas - i.e. between mid-November and mid-January of the following year.

Tips for those affected - act quickly!

Those affected should take action quickly, as the Christmas bonus is usually paid out with the November salary.

Help and contacts:in

If you have any questions or need assistance, affected employees whose company is a customer of pme Familienservice are welcome to contact the

pme income and budget counseling team
Angelika Heede
(specialist advisor)

Sources:

Consumer advice center

zero Applying for a care degree: what you need to know

Age & care
16.03.2023 Gabriele Strasser 11277

Applying for a care degree: what you need to know

Anyone applying for a care degree should be well prepared for the visit from the Medical Service of the health insurance funds. 

People in need of long-term care are entitled to benefits from long-term care insurance. In order to receive these benefits, the person in need of care (or a relative) must submit an application to their long-term care insurance - a department of their health insurance company. If a need for care is established, the benefits are paid retroactively up to the date of application. It is therefore important to submit the application as soon as possible.

The long-term care insurance then commissions the Medical Service of the Health Insurance Funds (MDK) to draw up an expert opinion on the extent of the need for long-term care. For this purpose, an assessor visits the person in need of care.

The right preparation for a visit from the medical service

A great deal depends on this visit, as the MDK's report is the basis for the care insurance company's decision on whether and what benefits the person in need of care will receive. Relatives and patients should prepare well for this appointment (which must be announced well in advance). For example, it is advisable to keep a care diary for several days in which all care activities that are relevant for the care insurance are noted. It also makes sense to talk to the patient in advance about their need for help in everyday life. Particularly important: Even if patients understandably want to present themselves in a good light, they should clearly demonstrate their need for help at the assessment appointment and not gloss over the situation in any way.

You should have these documents ready

  • Reports from the family doctor, specialists or the discharge report from the hospital, if available. 
  • Current medication plan.
  • If a care service comes, care documentation.
  • Care diary, in which you note down in advance all care activities that are relevant for care insurance.

Compensation possible in the event of delay

The long-term care insurance funds are bound by a deadline when processing applications. A maximum of 25 working days may elapse between the MDK's visit and the decision. If it takes longer, people in need of care or their relatives can claim compensation of 70 euros per week or part thereof. However, this regulation does not apply if the person in need of care lives in a care home and already has at least care level two. Or has no care level been approved at all? In such cases, people in need of care and their relatives can lodge an appeal against the decision. If this is also unsuccessful, there is always the option of going to the social court.

Appeal against the MDK's decision - how to do it

If the Medical Service rejects the application for a care degree, or if the classification is lower than expected, you can lodge an appeal within 28 calendar days. You can also lodge several appeals. If the appeal is rejected twice, the social court will decide.

  • Ask for a reason for the rejection and use this to formulate your objection.
  • The long-term care insurance fund examines the appeal and sends an expert again.
  • If the new assessment is positive, you will receive benefits from long-term care insurance retroactively from the date of the first application.
  • If you are not yet in need of care to the extent that a care degree is approved, you can submit a new application after a certain period of time.
  • You can also submit a new application for long-term care insurance benefits if your state of health changes significantly.


"A lot depends on the visit from the medical service. We recommend that people in need of care and their relatives prepare well for this appointment."

Jürgen Griesbeck, Product Manager Homecare-Eldercare, pme Familienservice Group

 

 
 
 

pme Familienservice Group - Your EAP provider since 1991

On behalf of more than 900 employers, the pme Familienservice Group supports employees in achieving a successful work-life balance and being able to work with a clear head.
The pme Familienservice Group supports employees in crises, e.g. conflicts at work, addiction or partnership problems. With a homecare eldercare service, it relieves the burden on professionals in organizing and financing care services and offers psychosocial support. The pme Academy offers seminars, workshops and coaching on the topics of personnel management and development.
You can find out more about the pme Familienservice Group here: www.familienservice.de/wer-wir-sind

 

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