Conversion claim: everyday help paid from the services budget
A dementia support group, a household helper, a companion: anyone not using the whole care service budget can put part of it towards these. What it brings and what it costs.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Conversion claim: everyday help from the services budget
Refunded via conversion
€250
| at most 40% of | €796 |
| Allowance afterwards | €238.02 |
| Relief amount on top | €131 |
People with care grade 2 or higher who live at home can use up to 40 % of their monthly services budget for everyday support services recognised under state law (Umwandlungsanspruch, section 45a(4) of Book XI of the German Social Code, SGB XI). At grade 3 that is up to €598.80 a month. Typical examples are dementia support groups, companions, volunteer helper circles, family relief services and household services. No prior application is needed: the fund refunds the cost against receipts. Only what a care service has not already billed as services in that month can be converted; the care service’s bill comes first. Within the combined benefit the refund counts as services used, so the care allowance falls proportionally. At grade 3, every €100 converted costs about €40.01 of allowance. Conversion runs independently of the relief amount of €131, and both can be used side by side. For anyone using it, the rules on the home advice visit apply accordingly.
How conversion works
The services budget is a monthly budget for a registered care service. If the family does not use all of it, part can be “converted” into a refund for recognised everyday help (section 45a(4) SGB XI). Three rules set how much. First, the cap: at most 40 % of the grade’s services amount per calendar month. Second, the care service comes first: its fees are billed before anything else, and only what is left in the month can be converted. Third, the effect on the allowance: within the combined benefit under section 38 SGB XI, the refund counts as services used.
| Care grade | Services budget | convertible at most | Allowance without conversion | Allowance with full conversion | Allowance cost per €100 converted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | €796 | €318.40 | €347 | €208.20 | €43.59 |
| 3 | €1,497 | €598.80 | €599 | €359.40 | €40.01 |
| 4 | €1,859 | €743.60 | €800 | €480.00 | €43.03 |
| 5 | €2,299 | €919.60 | €990 | €594.00 | €43.06 |
The last column matters most. It shows the price of conversion in allowance. Because the allowance is clearly smaller than the services budget at every grade, the family gets more help for each euro converted than it loses in allowance. But it swaps money it can spend freely for a refund tied to a purpose. For a parent whose allowance is passed on to a carer as recognition, that trade-off deserves a family conversation.
A worked example at grade 3
| care service only | care service and everyday help | |
|---|---|---|
| care service bill | €600 | €600 |
| refund for everyday help (conversion) | €0 | €400 |
| share of services budget used | 40.1 % | 66.8 % |
| pro-rata care allowance | €358.92 | €198.87 |
| relief amount on top | €131 | €131 |
The everyday help of €400 is refunded in full, and the allowance falls from €358.92 to €198.87. The relief amount is untouched in both cases because it runs separately (section 45b SGB XI). Using the relief amount first and converting only the remainder keeps more allowance.
How much allowance is left next to a care service
Allowance per month
€358.92
| Services budget used | 40.1 % |
| full allowance | €599 |
| you pay | €0 |
Which services count
Under the law, recognised everyday support services are supervision services in which mainly volunteers provide care under professional guidance, services that relieve carers, and services that relieve everyday life, for example in the household or in organising help (section 45a(1)). The law names dementia support groups, helper circles for relief by the hour, day supervision in small groups, one-to-one supervision by recognised helpers, agencies arranging relief services, family relief services, everyday companions, care companions and household services. Each federal state regulates recognition in its own ordinance (section 45a(3)). A private cleaning firm without that recognition does not count, however reliable it is.
Where do you find recognised providers? On request, the care fund must promptly send a list comparing services and prices for your area, which expressly includes everyday support services and their costs (section 7(3) SGB XI). The state associations of care funds update this list every quarter and publish it on their own website. Ask for it in writing; you can then compare hourly rates before the first invoice arrives.
Refunds and offsetting
The fund refunds against receipts for your own costs when you claim the money; for people entitled to Beihilfe the allowance office pays its share. If the allowance for a month has already been transferred before the refund is processed, more may have been paid than is due after conversion. The fund then deducts the excess from the refund instead of asking for money back. Submit receipts monthly, so it stays clear which month was billed how, especially if you handle the paperwork from abroad.
Advice visits apply to conversion too
For anyone using the conversion claim, the rules on advice at home apply accordingly. If a visit is missed, the cut or withdrawal affects the refund for everyday help, not just the allowance. More on dates, video and deadlines under home advice visit.
Counted over a year
Monthly amounts look small; annual figures make the decision tangible. If a family at grade 3 converts the full amount every month and uses no care service, it funds €7,185.60 of everyday help a year. In return €2,875.20 of allowance is lost. The relief amount of €1,572 a year comes on top either way. Whether the trade is worth it depends on what the allowance was used for. If it goes to a daughter who provides the care as recognition, conversion costs her real money; if she is exhausted and needs hours for herself, regular supervision may be worth more than the sum in the account. For relatives living far away, conversion has another advantage: a recognised companion comes reliably even when no family member is nearby, and bills the hours transparently.
When conversion pays off
- Relatives provide the care themselves but need regular relief through supervision or household help beyond what the relief amount covers.
- A care service visits only a few times, so much of the services budget would otherwise go unused.
- With dementia, a support group is attended several times a week and the relief amount alone cannot cover it.
- The allowance is not urgently needed for the carer’s own living costs.
It makes less sense when the care service already uses most of the budget. At grade 2 with a care service bill of €600, only €196.00 of a €400 everyday help bill can still be converted. The exact split between care service, conversion and allowance is shown by the combined benefit calculator.