Care homes in Saxony: the co-payment against a pension
Saxony is in the lower third for care home co-payments, yet many Saxon pensions do not cover them. A worked example shows how fast savings shrink.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Monthly co-payment, Saxony
€3,152
in month 1, supplement 15 %
| Care (EEE) after supplement | €1,816 |
|---|---|
| Board and lodging | €881 |
| Investment costs | €455 |
| Fund pays the home | €1,639 |
| Monthly gap after pension | €1,552 |
| Savings last until the protected amount | 22 months |
| Co-payments over the next 36 months | €100,642 |
| Year 1 (15 %) | €3,152 |
|---|---|
| Year 2 (30 %) | €2,831 |
| Year 3 (50 %) | €2,404 |
| Year 4 (75 %) | €1,870 |
Step-by-step calculation
- vdek average for Saxony on 1 July 2026: EEE €2,136 (incl. training levy €135), board and lodging €881, investment costs €455.
- Month 1 in the home: supplement 15 % of the EEE = €320.40 (section 43c).
- Co-payment = €1,815.60 + €881 + €455 = €3,151.60.
Estimate using the 2026 amounts in Book XI of the Social Code. Only the decision letter from your Pflegekasse is binding. How we calculate
In Saxony a care home place cost an average of €3,152 a month out of pocket in the first year of residence on 1 July 2026, rank 11 among the German states (vdek). Board and lodging are cheap at €881, and investment costs of €455 are below the national level. The care part, however, is above average at €2,136 and has risen by €155 since January alone. From the fourth year the care fund’s supplement brings the co-payment down to €1,870. A worked example: a pensioner with €1,400 net and €30,000 in savings faces a gap of €1,752 in the first month. Her savings above the protected €10,000 last about 12 months; after that she needs to apply to the welfare office for social assistance for care (Hilfe zur Pflege). The first two years cost about €71,794 on average.
Saxony against Germany and Saxony-Anhalt
| Saxony | Saxony-Anhalt | Germany | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Care co-payment (EEE) | €2,136 | €1,993 | €2,088 |
| Board and lodging | €881 | €852 | €1,068 |
| Investment costs | €455 | €345 | €521 |
| Year 1 | €3,152 | €2,891 | €3,364 |
| From year 4 | €1,870 | €1,695 | €2,111 |
The worked example in detail
The pensioner in the example pays €1,752 from savings every month in year one. From month 13 the gap shrinks as the supplement rises to 30 percent, but savings above the protected amount are still gone after about 12 months. By then the application for social assistance for care should be with the welfare office, ideally a few weeks earlier so no bill goes unpaid. The protected amount of €10,000 per person is set in the regulation on section 90 SGB XII.
Enter your own figures in the calculator above; it uses the Saxon average unless you give an EEE from the contract. Children are only asked to contribute if their annual income exceeds €100,000; see who pays for a care home.