At the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, the legislator created a number of relief measures for relatives of carers. The measures, which were last due to expire on December 31, have now been extended until March 31, 2021. The most important key points:

Short-term absence from work: Anyone caring for relatives due to an acute corona-related situation, for example when day care facilities are closed, can be absent from work for 20 days instead of the usual 10 days. 

Care support allowance: If care is provided at home due to pandemic-related supply bottlenecks, the care support allowance can also be claimed for up to 20 working days.

Connection requirement: The requirement for immediate connection between care leave and family care leave does not apply if the employer agrees. 

Notice period: For family care leave starting on March 1, 2021 at the latest, the notice period is ten working days instead of the usual eight weeks.

Loans: In the case of the interest-free loan under the Family Caregiver Leave Act, months with pandemic-related loss of income can be excluded between March 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021.

Lump-sum care allowance to be increased

Anyone who cares for a relative or friend at home can claim the so-called care lump sum for tax purposes. Previously, this only applied to those with a care level of 4 or 5 or a severely disabled person's pass with the H (helpless) or Bl (blind) mark. In this case, the lump sum will be increased from 924 to 1,800 euros per year. 

What is new is that lump sums can also be claimed for care levels 2 and 3 - 600 and 1,100 euros per year respectively.

Lump sum for the disabled is doubled

The lump sum for the disabled is a tax relief for people with disabilities. The amount depends on the degree of disability. From January 1, 2021, the previous amounts will be doubled. 

Care reform planned for July 2021

In November, Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn presented a key points paper for a care reform that is due to come into force in July 2021. Among other things, it is planned to limit the personal contribution for home care to a maximum of 700 euros. There are also plans to improve outpatient care services.

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 working people in crises, e.g. conflicts at work, addiction or partnership problems. With a homecare eldercare service, it helps working people to organize and finance 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 more information at:

www.familienservice.de/web/pme-assistance/homecare-eldercare

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