To provide extra support for families, from January 2023, Child Benefit is to be increased uniformly to 250 euros per month, per child.

The amounts will be adjusted automatically by the Family Benefits Office and paid out in the new amount as of January. Those entitled to Child Benefit do not have to do anything.

The current payment dates are available in the internet (available in German). It is possible to apply for Child Benefit on the birth of a baby online and in completely paperless form using ELSTER.

Low income families to receive an increased Child Allowance

There is also good news for families with low incomes. From January 2023, the maximum amount of the Child Allowance is to increase from the previous 229 euros to 250 euros per child, per month. This has been designed to mitigate the additional burdens on families due to inflation.

Families who have already applied for or are already receiving the Child Allowance do not have to do anything – the amount paid out will be adjusted automatically in January.

Parents and single parents receive the Child Allowance from the Family Benefits Office if they are entitled to Child Benefit for the respective child, if the child is under 25 years old and unmarried, and if the child lives in the same household. The application for the Child Allowance can be filled out directly and the necessary documentation can be uploaded online.

“During the current energy crisis, the Child Allowance has become increasingly important. It is up to families to take action now and make sure that they take advantage of offers from the state, such as the Child Allowance. The Family Benefits Office will be pleased to help – with advice on the complex application process, but also with its digital services,” says Karsten Bunk, Head of the Family Benefits Office at the Federal Employment Agency.

Good to know: With our online assistant, KiZ-Lotsen, www.kinderzuschlag.de (available in German) you can check in just a few steps whether applying for the Child Allowance is worthwhile. The currently-valid values of the KiZ are always taken into account – these are will also be adjusted accordingly in the new year. For answers to individual questions about the Child Allowance, a video consultation at home can also be arranged conveniently and easily.

You can find all the latest information on the Child benefit and the Child Allowance online at www.familienkasse.de (available in German).