German care grade 1: the benefits without a care allowance
The entry grade pays no money into an account, but it opens several budgets many families never hear about. Here is what they are and how to claim them.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Care grade 1: what is left of the relief amount
Still available
€1,172
| Entitlement this year | €1,572 |
| usable until | 30 June next year |
| Care aids on top | €42 / month |
German care grade 1 (Pflegegrad 1) applies when the assessment produces 12.5 to just under 27 total points, described in section 15(3) of Book XI of the Social Code as minor limitations of independence. Unlike grade 2 and above, there is no care allowance, no services budget, no day care budget and no annual budget for respite or short-term care. The complete list of benefits is in section 28a: above all the relief amount of €131 a month, which at grade 1 may also pay a care service for personal care such as showering, consumable care aids up to €42 a month, grants of up to €4,180 per measure for adapting the home, care counselling, courses for relatives, digital care apps and, in a care home, a grant of €131. Together with the aids, the regular benefits are worth €2,076 a year. A bathroom conversion costing €6,500 would be subsidised with €4,180.
Who gets grade 1
Between 12.5 and 27 points are people who largely manage daily life but need help at certain points: the woman who cannot get into the bath after knee surgery, struggles with stairs and sometimes forgets her tablets; the man with early Parkinson’s who still dresses himself but needs company for shopping and appointments. Below 12.5 points there is no care grade at all: 12 points give grade 0, meaning no entitlement.
At grade 1 it is worth reading the report closely. Someone just under 27 points is often closer to grade 2 than the family thinks; the care grade calculator shows the gap.
Every benefit under section 28a
| Benefit at grade 1 | Amount | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Relief amount (personal care allowed) | €131 a month | 45b |
| Consumable care aids | up to €42 a month | 40(2) |
| Technical care aids | co-payment 10%, at most €25 | 40(3) |
| Home adaptation grant | up to €4,180 per measure | 40(4) |
| Digital care apps | up to €40 plus €30 support | 39a, 40b |
| Shared-flat supplement | €224 a month | 45f |
| Grant in residential care | €131 a month | 43(3) |
| Counselling, home advice, care courses | free | 7a, 37(3), 45 |
The relief amount is the key benefit
At grade 1 the relief amount is the only regular cash-like benefit, and it is more flexible than at higher grades: a care service may use it for personal care too. €131 a month pays for roughly two or three visits by a service or several hours of a recognised everyday helper, depending on the region. Money can be saved up within the year and used until 30 June of the following year.
Relief amount: what is left and for how long
Usable until 30 June 2027
€1,048
| Entitlement 2026 | €1,572 |
| refunded | €524 |
After that the 2026 balance lapses (section 45b(1)).
Aids and adaptations
Consumable care aids such as gloves, bed protectors and disinfectant are free up to €42 a month; many families have a box delivered monthly. Technical aids such as a care bed are usually lent. For adaptations that make care easier or independent living possible, such as a walk-in shower, grab rails or a stairlift, the fund pays up to €4,180 per measure (section 40(4) SGB XI). A bathroom conversion costing €6,500 leaves €2,320 for the family. See home adaptation grants.
What grade 1 does not include
No allowance, no services budget beyond the relief amount, no separate day care budget and no joint annual budget for respite or short-term care. Pension contributions for carers and the carer’s tax lump sum also start at grade 2. Short-term care after a hospital stay can be partly paid from the relief amount or, as long as there is no grade 2, through the health insurer.
What relatives can already use at grade 1
Although social security for carers only starts at grade 2, grade 1 gives the family two rights. First, free care courses, also as training at home, where a care service shows how to help someone stand up without injuring your back or how to prevent falls (section 45 SGB XI). Second, short-term leave from work: when a care situation arises suddenly, employees in Germany may stay away for up to ten working days to organise care and receive the carer’s leave allowance as wage replacement; see carer’s leave. While the situation is still manageable, this is the moment to set up aids, adaptations and an everyday helper calmly rather than in a crisis.
The way to grade 2
Many people at grade 1 need more help after a while. A request for a higher grade is possible at any time when the condition worsens. Keep a record of which help was needed on which day. The difference is large: grade 2 adds €347 of allowance a month, €721 for day care and €3,539 a year for respite.
Use the advice visit
At grade 1 there is a right, not an obligation, to one advice visit at home every six months. It is worth it: aids recommended by the advisor are presumed necessary, and the advisor can say whether a higher grade is likely. For relatives abroad, asking for the visit while they are in Germany is a good way to meet the people involved in their parent’s care.