Work out the German pension points earned by caring
Care grade, benefit received and your share of the caring: the calculator shows how much statutory pension one year of caring earns.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Extra pension per month
€83.53
after 5.0 years, 1.9644 pension points
| Contribution base per month | €1,700.65 |
|---|---|
| Pension per year of care | €16.71 |
| Carer’s tax lump sum per year | €1,100 |
Step-by-step calculation
- Contribution base: 43.00 % of the reference value €3,955 = €1,700.65 a month (section 166(2) SGB VI).
- Annual value divided by the provisional average pay of €51,944 = 0.3929 pension points per year.
- Times the pension value €42.52 (from 1 July 2026) = €16.71 monthly pension per year of care.
- Conditions: at least 10 hours a week over 2 days, no more than 30 hours of paid work (section 44 SGB XI).
Estimate using the 2026 amounts in Book XI of the Social Code. Only the decision letter from your Pflegekasse is binding. How we calculate
If you care at home for a relative with at least care grade 2 for at least ten hours a week over at least two days, and work no more than 30 hours a week, the German long-term care fund pays contributions to the statutory pension insurance for you (section 44 of Book XI of the Social Code). The amount depends on the grade and the benefit drawn: the contribution base is a share of the reference value (Bezugsgröße) of €3,955 a month, from 18.9 percent at grade 2 with services only to 100 percent at grade 5 with allowance only (section 166(2) of Book VI). Pension points follow from the provisional 2026 average pay of €51,944. One year of caring at grade 3 with allowance only gives 0.3929 points, worth €16.71 of monthly pension at the pension value of €42.52 from July 2026. If several people care, the contribution is split by each person’s share.
Monthly pension per year of caring
| Care grade | allowance only | combined | services only |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | €10.49 | €8.92 | €7.34 |
| 3 | €16.71 | €14.20 | €11.69 |
| 4 | €27.19 | €23.12 | €19.04 |
| 5 | €38.85 | €33.02 | €27.19 |
The table shows why the choice of benefit also affects the carer’s pension: the more care the family provides itself, the higher the contributions. At grade 5 with allowance only, the fund pays contributions on the full reference value, as if the carer had worked a year at average pay (section 166(2) SGB VI).
The figures use the 2026 reference values (German Pension Insurance) and the pension value from July 2026 (German Pension Insurance). Future pension increases raise the value of every point. Anyone already drawing a full old-age pension usually earns no new contributions from caring; check with the pension insurance.
Besides the pension, the fund covers the carer under statutory accident insurance and, where conditions are met, unemployment insurance (section 44(2a) and (2b) SGB XI). A carer who takes no money for caring can also claim the carer’s tax lump sum.