The Family Fund of the Federal Employment Agency has largely completed the payment of the child bonus. Last year, as part of the Corona stimulus package, the German government decided to pay out €300 in support for each child eligible for child benefits in 2020.
The child bonus was regulated by the Second Corona Tax Relief Act to address the economic consequences of the Corona pandemic. Its aim was to strength the weakened purchasing power and indirectly secure jobs. The child bonus was intended to provide financial support in particular for families with lower to middle incomes and several children.
In the months of September and October, the child bonus was transferred in two instalments – initially for children for whom there was a current entitlement to child benefits in the month of September. In the months of November and December, the child bonus was then paid out for those children for whom there was an entitlement to child benefits in at least one other month of 2020.
Although there was only a short lead time, the Family Fund thus paid out the amount in almost 10 million cases for a total of over 16 million children without any major delays.
For children who were born in 2020 and for whom no application for child benefits has been submitted so far, the child bonus can also be paid retrospectively in 2021. The prerequisite is that an entitlement to child benefits arises for the children concerned for at least one month of the year 2020.
The application for child benefits can be filled out directly online. Information on how to apply is available at www.familienkasse.de.