Applying for child supplement: entitlement, amount, application
Parents often work to the limit - and the income is still barely enough to live on. Unfortunately, this is everyday life for many families. One state benefit that can help families here is the child supplement.
(Article updated on 06.01.25)
Child supplement is financial support for parents whose income is sufficient for themselves but not for the whole family. This can also be the case for families in the middle income bracket if their housing costs are so high that living with several children is difficult to finance.
Child supplement is intended to put working parents with low incomes in a better position than parents who receive a citizen's allowance. According to estimates, hundreds of thousands of families in Germany could benefit from the child supplement - if they were to apply for it. According to the federal government, around 1 million children will be entitled to child supplement in 2024.
How much is the child supplement?
In principle, you can receive up to 297 euros per child per month.
The amount of the child supplement depends on various factors, e.g:
- Number of children or household members
- Housing costs (including basic rent and heating costs)
- Salary/wage
- Assets of parents and children
- Wage replacement benefits (e.g. sick pay, parental allowance)
- Unemployment benefit I
- BAföG
Other costs such as living expenses, maintenance payments and childcare costs do not affect the amount of the child supplement.
Who is entitled to child supplement?
A few conditions must be met in order to be entitled to a child supplement.
Your checklist for the child supplement:
- Child lives in the parental household
- Minimum income € 600 (single parents) or € 900 (couples) gross per month
- Child receives child benefit
- Child is under 25 years old and not married
- You would not have to apply for Citizen's Allowance if you received child supplement (and possibly housing benefit).
Check now: Am I entitled to a child supplement?
The KiZ-Lotse will give you a quick and easy initial assessment:
How can I apply for child supplement?
Child supplement can be applied for online at www.kiz-digital.de or by post at the family benefits office.
Child supplement is usually granted for 6 months in the future. The income and housing costs of the last 6 months before the application are taken into account. Even if these change during the reference period, the amount of the child supplement remains the same.
As with other benefits, it can take some time before the supplementary child allowance is paid out. Depending on the authority, it can take several months to process the application. However, if it is approved, child supplement is paid (retroactively) from the month of application.
Families who have been granted child supplement can claim further benefits: e.g. allowances for school supplies, assumption of costs for school trips or free childcare.
Further information, calculation examples and regulations can be found in the Federal Employment Agency's information sheet on child supplement.
Sources:
Employment agency information sheet on child supplement
