Applying for a German care grade, quickly and completely
From the first call to the care fund to the decision letter: what to say, which deadlines the fund must meet and why every month of waiting costs money.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
What a late application costs
Allowance lost
€1,041
| Allowance per month | €347 |
| paid from | month of application (s. 33) |
The fund does not pay for months before the application.
You apply for a German care grade (Pflegegrad) to the long-term care fund (Pflegekasse), which sits with the person’s statutory health insurer; for privately insured people it is the insurance company. A phone call, an email or a short letter is enough, and the form can follow. The date matters most: benefits are paid from the month the application arrives and never for earlier months (section 33(1) of Book XI of the Social Code). Waiting three months with an expected grade 3 costs €1,797 of care allowance. After the application the fund instructs the Medical Service, which usually assesses at home. The written decision is due no later than 25 working days after the application (section 18c); if the fund misses that deadline through its own fault it pays €70 for every week begun. For patients in hospital, rehabilitation, a hospice or palliative care, the assessment must take place within 5 working days. Benefits require two years of German long-term care insurance within the past ten.
The application in five steps
- Call the Pflegekasse. It sits with the person’s health insurer. Say that you are applying for long-term care insurance benefits (“Ich beantrage Leistungen der Pflegeversicherung”). Note the date and the name of the person you spoke to; payments start from this month.
- Return the form. The fund sends a form about insurance, living situation and the benefit wanted: allowance, services or both. The choice can be changed later.
- Keep a care diary. For two weeks write down every intervention with the time: getting up, washing, dressing, eating, drinking, medication, nights.
- Assessment. The Medical Service (Medizinischer Dienst) or an assessor appointed by the fund visits at home; for private policies the insurer’s own service. The main carer should be present. See the Medical Service assessment.
- Check the decision. The report comes with the decision unless you decline it (section 18c(2) SGB XI). If the grade is wrong, you have one month to object.
Deadlines the fund must meet
| Situation | Deadline | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Standard case | decision within 25 working days | s. 18c(1) |
| Hospital, inpatient rehab, hospice, home palliative care (with need) | assessment by working day 5 | s. 18a(5) |
| At home, carer leave announced to the employer | assessment within 10 working days | s. 18a(6) |
| Short-term care straight after hospital or rehab | full assessment by working day 10 of the stay | s. 18a(7) |
| Deadline missed through the fund’s fault | €70 per week begun | s. 18c(5) |
Deadlines run from the day the application arrives. If the fund requests essential documents, the clock stops until they arrive, so answering quickly shortens the process. In the fast-track cases the assessor first only establishes whether at least grade 2 applies; the full assessment follows (section 18a(7) SGB XI).
What helps on the first call
On the phone the fund usually asks only for the insurance number, address and the benefit wanted. Still mention briefly why help is needed: a fall, a dementia diagnosis, an upcoming hospital discharge. Ask for care counselling under section 7a SGB XI, which the fund must offer, including at home, to clarify which benefits can start at once. Ask for the assessment report to be sent to you and say that you would like to be present at the visit. If you live abroad, give an email address and a phone number with country code, and ask whether the assessor can call you before or during the visit. If you already have a care service lined up, give its name so the combined benefit can be set up straight away.
Why waiting costs money
Many families wait until things “really don’t work any more”. That is expensive, because benefits start only in the month of application (section 33(1) SGB XI). Three months’ delay with an expected grade 3 cost €1,797 of allowance, plus lapsed months of relief amount. If you are unsure whether it is enough for a grade, try the care grade calculator first; grade 1 starts at 12.5 points.
Who is entitled
The person must have been insured, or covered through a family member, in the German long-term care insurance for at least two of the ten years before applying; children qualify through a parent (section 33(2) SGB XI). Time in a German private policy counts after switching. The care need must be expected to last at least six months.
Which benefit to tick on the form
If relatives provide care, the care allowance is the default. If a care service already visits, choose the combined benefit; the service then bills the fund directly. The relief amount and care aids need no box on the form. Short-term and respite care are possible after the decision without a further prior application.
What this care grade brings per month in 2026
Benefits per month
€772
| paid to you | €599 |
| services | €0 |
| per year incl. annual budget | €12,803 |
When relatives live abroad
With a power of attorney an adult child can phone or write from anywhere. For the home visit, though, someone who knows daily life should be there; if nobody is in Germany, at least a written care diary should be. It is worth timing a trip so that you are present for the assessment, since it shapes everything the fund pays for years.