Financial

At our canteens, students’ children (up to 10 years of age) can get free lunches with the MensaKidsCard. You can apply for the MensaKidsCard at our Service Centers in Konstanz and Weingarten.

Links

• Service Center: contact details and opening hours
• Application MensaKidsCard

Maternity benefit provided by health insurance companies
Under certain conditions, you can claim maternity benefit from statutory health insurance providers during maternity leave periods. This is always related to an employment relationship that is interrupted by pregnancy and childbirth.

The maternity period runs from six weeks before to eight weeks after the birth of the child. For twins, a period of twelve weeks after childbirth shall apply. In order to receive maternity benefit, you must be independently insured on a statutory health insurance plan (excludes family insurance). Further information is available at the Federal Ministry of family Affairs. The maximum maternity benefit awarded by health insurance providers is 13 euros per calendar day, but this can be topped up by your employer.

Downloads

• Guide to maternity leave

Links

• Overview of maternity benefits

Maternity benefit from the German Federal (Social) Insurance Office (BVA)
If you are employed but do not have independent insurance from a statutory health insurance provider or if you have private health insurance, the German Federal (Social) Insurance Office has responsibility. The BVA pays a maximum of €210.00 for the whole maternity leave period.

Links

• German Federal (Social) Insurance Office

Parental benefit is a family benefit for all parents who are supporting their child themselves during the first few months of the child’s life and are therefore not fully fit to work. The benefit is normally payable for twelve months; the minimum level of payment is 300 euros. As this is considered an income-replacement benefit, the level of payment is based on the average income during the last 12 months before the child was born.

Who is entitled to parental benefit?

• Mothers and fathers who are supporting and bringing up their child themselves,

• do not work more than 30 hours per week,
• live in a household with their child
• and whose main residence and abode are both in Germany.
• Students with or without an interrupted education

Foreign parents who are in possession of a student residence permit by virtue of their education cannot receive parental benefit unless there is a regular employment relationship with at least 5 hours per week (no compulsory internships)..

Application
The application must be submitted in writing to the youth welfare office at your place of residence. Parental benefit payments can only be backdated for three months. We recommend that you apply for parental benefit as soon as your child is born.

Deduction of SGB II benefits

The full basic payment of 300 euros counts towards unemployment benefit II (subsistence allowance). This does not apply to persons who had earned income of 300 euros or less before the birth of the child (§ 10 section 5 BEEG). As before, the basic payment for housing benefit is disregarded in such calculations.

Downloads

• Parental benefit brochure

Links

• Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth

This is a state benefit aimed at helping to secure the livelihood of children and relieving the financial burden on dependent parents. For children currently going through education, the entitlement to child benefit normally lasts until the child reaches the age of 25. Applications for child benefit must be received from the parents in writing at the Familienkasse (family desk) of the relevant agency.

Who is entitled to this benefit?
The parents are normally eligible. If, however, the parents provide very little or no support, the child can apply for the money to be paid to them directly (so-called ‘Abzweigung’ [diverted payments] in accordance with § 74 EStG). For children reaching full maturity, child benefit can be awarded up to their 25th birthday. Parents living apart can agree collectively which of them should receive the child benefit. A leave of absence from a course of study is considered a discontinuation and there is no entitlement to child benefit. For exceptions see official regulations link A 15.7

Child benefit for student parents

If students receive benefits for their own children, their own entitlement to child benefit is subject to the same conditions as for children reaching full maturity. Their educational status is only lost if they take a leave of absence from their studies! If only one semester - and no longer - is taken off for the birth of a child, the student will be considered until the beginning of the semester. If the absence of leave is extended due to bringing up a child, there is no entitlement to child benefit! Cf. official regulations link A 15.11

How much money can I get?
Child benefit is tax-free income and the following monthly payments have been awarded since 2023:

• € 250.00 per child

No child benefit is paid to foreign parents who have a residence permit for study purposes due to their education, unless there is a regular employment relationship with at least 5 hours per week (no compulsory internships). New regulation as of 03/2020.

Application
You can obtain the necessary applications from the family benefits office of the employment agency. Online offer of the family benefits office application. It is also possible to fill out applications online, print them out and send them off signed, Application for downloading

Forms can be also be obtained from the relevant Familienkasse:

Responsibility for Konstanz
Familienkasse Villingen-Schwenningen
Lantwattenstrasse 2
78050 VS-Villingen
familienkasse-villingen-schwenningen[at]arbeitsagentur.de

Responsibility for Ravensburg and Weingarten
Familienkasse Ravensburg
Schützenstrasse 69
88212 Ravensburg
Tel +49 800 - 4 5555 30 (child benefit and child supplement)
Tel +49 800 - 4 5555 33 (payment dates)
familienkasse-ravensburg[at]arbeitsagentur.de

Links

• Familienkasse at the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal Employment Agency)
• Official regulations for child benefit

Childcare allowance is a supplement to child benefit. It is intended for parents who are able to finance their own living costs but not that of their children and must therefore apply for ALG II or social benefit.

How much childcare allowance is payable?
The maximum payment is 250 euros per child (income-based). It is possible for every unmarried child in one's own household up to the age of 25. Payments are made to low-income parents for an unlimited period. The income from the child (eg child support, child support or half-orphan's pension) is only credited to 45%. If the parents or the child are receiving SGB II benefits there is no claim possible.

Note: Students have often dropped out of this eligibility because of low incomes or maintenance payments to the child led according to the old regulation that the income of the child reaches the limit. Since 1.7.2019 the change applies. About a request, the claim may be, e.g. be checked by single parents.

Requirements according to § 6 a Federal Child Benefit Act:

- The children in the household are under 25

- The parents are receiving child benefit

- The gross monthly income including loans but excluding housing benefit and

   child benefit amounts to 900 euros for couples and 600 euros for single parents

- The adjusted income and assets must not exceed the maximum income

Contact

Responsibility for Konstanz, Rabensburg and Weingarten
Familienkasse Baden-Württemberg-Ost

Schützenstrasse 69
88212 Ravensburg
Tel +49 800 - 4 5555 30 (child benefit and child supplement)
Tel +49 800 - 4 5555 33 (payment dates)
familienkasse-ravensburg[at]arbeitsagentur.de

Links

• Child allowance
• Notfall-KiZ

Downloads

• Information leaflet - Child allowance

For BAföG recipients with a child or children under ten years of age living in their household, there is a childcare allowance of 160 euros per month for a child.

This allowance is a full grant and therefore does not need to be repaid. This childcare allowance is intended to give students the opportunity to receive childcare for their children outside day-care centre opening hours, e.g. during weekends or evenings. This allowance cannot count as income and be offset against other social benefits such as housing benefit or SGB II, see § 14b section 2 BAföG

Childcare allowance is only awarded upon application. Please submit applications to the BAföG office.

Links

• BAföG office
• Studis Online

The youth welfare offices not only support parents in an advisory capacity with the bringing up of their children, but also financially. For example, parents can apply for the fees incurred at crèches, nurseries or daycare centres to be covered by the youth welfare office. You can find out from your relevant youth welfare office about the necessary requirements and how to apply for these benefits. You are also welcome to talk to our social counselling department in this regard.

The education package for education and participation is used to subsidise meals provided by childcare facilities and must be applied for separately. The requirements for this are that specific forms of assistance are being received. Other benefits such as, for example, school supplies, school trips, excursions and learning support are also claimed via the education package. Depending on the benefits being received, applications can be submitted at your job centre or district administration offices.

Youth welfare also applies to foreign parents, provided they have a student residence permit. The meeting of childcare costs is not a social welfare benefit and therefore acceptable in terms of the legal status under German law governing foreign nationals. However, the living costs must be covered separately from this benefit and are based on the maximum rate payable by BAföG. The current amount payable in Konstanz for a frozen account is 934 euros.

Links

• Konstanz - Social and Youth Welfare Office
• Benefits for Education and Participation
• Konstanz Social & Maintenance Family Pass

• Ravensburg - Youth Welfare Office (also responsible for Weingarten)
• Friedrichshafen - Youth Welfare Office

Even if the student parents are potentially entitled to SGB II benefits themselves, this does not apply to their children. You can claim personally for social benefit and adjusted costs for accommodation and heating. In doing so, child benefit and any potential maintenance payments will count towards the child’s income. If the child’s father pays no maintenance, it is possible to receive an advance maintenance payment.

Please note: if the mother wishes to claim SGB II benefits for themselves or their child, they are required to give the name of the child’s father.

Children up to 14 years of age
are part of the ‘Bedarfsgemeinschaft’ (collective members of a household in need of benefit) and are entitled to social benefit at the standard rate.

Children aged 15 and older
As people who are considered fit for work, they are personally entitled to unemployment benefit II.

Application
Applications for ALG II or social benefit are valid from the date of application and must be submitted in writing at the relevant local job centre.

Links

• Konstanz - Job Centre
• Ravensburg - Job Centre
• Friedrichshafen - Job Centre