German care grade 2: what it pays in 2026 and when it applies
The first grade that pays a care allowance, and the one where the budgets next to the allowance are often worth more than the allowance itself.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
What this care grade brings per month in 2026
Benefits per month
€520
| paid to you | €347 |
| services | €0 |
| per year incl. annual budget | €9,779 |
German care grade 2 (Pflegegrad 2) applies when the assessment produces between 27 and just under 47.5 total points, described in section 15(3) of Book XI of the Social Code as considerable limitations of independence. It is the first grade with a care allowance: €347 a month if the family provides care, or services from a registered care provider worth up to €796. With a care service billing €400, 50.3 % of the services budget is used and €172.63 of allowance remains. Alongside the allowance, grade 2 brings the €131 relief amount, consumable aids up to €42, a separate day care budget of €721 a month and the joint annual budget of €3,539 for respite and short-term care. With family care only and no day care, that is €9,779 a year, of which only €4,164 arrives as money. In a care home the fund pays the home €805 a month.
The points behind grade 2
The range from 27 to 47.5 points is wide, which is why grade 2 is the most common result of a first assessment. Someone just above 27 mainly needs help with individual tasks; someone close to 47.5 is already quite dependent, and a small decline moves them into grade 3. The care grade calculator shows how many points are missing to the next threshold.
A worked example from the scoring system (section 15 SGB XI): self-care in band 2 gives 20 weighted points, illness management in band 1 adds 5, daily life in band 1 adds 3.75 and mobility in band 1 adds 2.5. That is 31.25 points and grade 2. A mild orientation problem that lifts module 2 into band 2 adds 7.5 to reach 38.75; the grade stays the same.
How close is the next care grade?
Points missing for the next grade
5.50
| Grade today | 2 |
| Extra allowance after | €252 |
| Extra services budget after | €701 |
Money per month and per year
| Benefit at grade 2 | Month | Year | Paid as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Care allowance | €347 | €4,164 | money to the account |
| or services up to | €796 | €9,552 | to the care service |
| Day care up to | €721 | €8,652 | to the centre, in addition |
| Relief amount | €131 | €1,572 | against receipts |
| Consumable care aids | €42 | €504 | in kind |
| Respite and short-term care | – | €3,539 | against receipts |
At grade 2 the allowance of €347 is modest, but the budgets beside it are not. Day care and the annual budget together exceed a whole year of allowance. Families who only take the allowance often use less than a third of what they are entitled to.
A care service mostly pays off at grade 2 for tasks relatives find hard, such as showering or fitting compression stockings. Every euro of services costs allowance under the combined benefit rule: with €400 for the service, €172.63 remains.
Day care and the relief amount together
Day care is the strongest lever at grade 2, because it reduces neither allowance nor services (section 41(3) SGB XI). €721 pays for several days a month depending on the centre’s rate. Meals and investment costs fall to the family, which is what the relief amount is for. A father at grade 2 can attend day care twice a week without his daughter giving up any allowance, which matters if she works full time or lives some distance away.
When the family needs a break
From grade 2 the joint annual budget of €3,539 applies (section 42a SGB XI). It pays for cover at home or a few weeks in a facility. If close relatives cover on a non-professional basis, the fund normally recognises twice the allowance, €694 at grade 2, plus documented travel or lost earnings. The respite calculator splits the budget.
What the home visit often misses
Older people tend to pull themselves together for the assessor: they dress neatly and say showering is fine. The exhaustion afterwards, the fall in the evening or the forgotten lunch never reach the report. Three things help: a two-week care diary listing every intervention with the time, the main carer being present, and doctors’ letters and the medication plan on the table. If the main carer lives abroad, a video call during the visit is better than nothing, but a written diary sent beforehand carries more weight. See the Medical Service assessment.
How grade 2 differs from grades 1 and 3
Below 27 points there is grade 1: no allowance, no services, no day care budget and no annual budget, only the relief amount, aids and adaptation grants. The step from grade 1 to 2 is therefore the most valuable on the whole scale. From 47.5 points comes grade 3 with €599 of allowance. If points seem to be missing in the decision, object within one month.
For family carers
Grade 2 is where social security for family carers starts: pension contributions, accident insurance while caring and unemployment insurance if the conditions are met. One year with allowance only adds €10.49 of monthly pension (carer pension calculator). A carer who receives nothing for caring can instead claim the carer’s lump sum of €600.