As of August 2021, families in need and families with low incomes will receive a one-time payment of EUR 100 for each underage child.
On 11.6.2021, the Bundestag adopted further financial assistance for families in need with the action programme “Catching up after Corona for children and young people”. The children’s leisure bonus is intended to help children and young people to take advantage of holiday and leisure activities and to make up for what they have missed. The one-off payment is not offset against social benefits. Families who receive a child allowance (KiZ), housing benefit or help with living costs will receive the children’s leisure bonus from the family benefits office (Familienkasse) of the Federal Employment Agency starting in August 2021.
The children’s leisure bonus is available for every child who receives a child supplement in August 2021 and who is not yet of age on August 1, 2021. Families who are already known to the family benefits office as KiZ recipients automatically receive the children’s leisure bonus in the form of a one-off payment in August – therefore NO application needs to be made here. Even in the case of parallel receipt of the KiZ and housing benefit or KiZ and basic security benefits (SGB II), the children's leisure bonus is automatically paid out by the family benefits office.
The following must be observed for those receiving only the housing benefit and assistance with living costs (social assistance according to SGB XII): In order for the family benefits office to be able to pay out the bonus promptly as of August 2021 in such cases, the children’s leisure bonus must be applied for using a short application form. From the beginning of July 2021, you will find this form at www.familienkasse.de. The completed application and suitable evidence of housing benefit or social assistance approval for August 2021 (e.g. notice of approval) can be sent by post to the relevant regional family benefits office. The competent family benefits office is indicated on the child benefit notification. Alternatively, you can use the online office finder (by postcode) of the family benefits office. Payment will be made starting in August 2021 at the earliest.
You can also find all the latest information on the children’s leisure bonus on a special page of the family benefits office, which is updated continuously.
For general questions about the application process, the toll-free number 0800 4 5555 43 will be available from the beginning of July 2021. The application form, which is available on the Internet, can be sent from July onwards to the specially set-up
e-mail address Kinderfreizeitbonus@arbeitsagentur.de
Clients who neither receive the child allowance nor housing benefit or social benefits according to SGB XII, but are recipients of benefits in the areas of SGB II, the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act (AsylbLG) or within the framework of supplementary assistance for subsistence in the social compensation law according to the Federal Pensions Act (BVG), also receive the children’s leisure bonus. No separate application needs to be made for this; the children’s leisure bonus is paid out automatically by the respective competent office.
Stay up-to-date: Current information as well as applications can be found online at www.familienkasse.de.
You can find your competent family benefits office online at
https://con.arbeitsagentur.de/prod/apok/metasuche/suche/dienststellen?in=familienkassen