Hilfe zur Pflege: when the German welfare office steps in
The benefit that steps in when long-term care insurance is not enough: who gets it, what must be left of income and how to apply.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
How long do savings last in a care home?
Savings last
20 months
| Gap in month 1 | €2,170.55 |
| Protected amount kept | €10,000 |
After that the social welfare office can pay Hilfe zur Pflege.
Social assistance for care (Hilfe zur Pflege) is a German welfare benefit under sections 61 ff. of Book XII of the Social Code. It pays care costs that neither the long-term care insurance nor the person’s own income and savings cover, most often the care home co-payment, but also costs of care at home above what the care fund pays. A care grade is required; from grade 2 it covers the same types of benefit as the care insurance (section 63). Savings of €10,000 per adult are protected (section 1 of the regulation on section 90). For care at home an income limit applies, made up of twice the standard rate of €563, reasonable housing costs and a family supplement (section 85); for a couple paying €650 rent it is €2,171 a month. In a care home the resident keeps a personal allowance of €152.01 (section 27b). Children only contribute if their own annual income exceeds €100,000. Help starts once the welfare office knows of the need, never retroactively.
When welfare becomes responsible
German long-term care insurance only pays fixed amounts, not actual costs. Anything above them is paid by the person in care, and only when they cannot pay does welfare step in, after checking income and assets (section 61 SGB XII). In practice this mainly affects care home residents: with an average first-year co-payment of €3,364, an average pension is rarely enough.
| 2026 value | Amount | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Standard rate, level 1 | €563 | Annex to s. 28 SGB XII |
| Personal allowance in a home (27%) | €152.01 | s. 27b(3) SGB XII |
| Basic amount of the income limit | €1,126 | s. 85(1) no. 1 SGB XII |
| Family supplement per person | €395 | s. 85(1) no. 3 SGB XII |
| Protected savings per adult | €10,000 | s. 1 regulation on s. 90 |
| Income threshold for recourse to children | €100,000 | s. 94(1a) SGB XII |
In a home: what is left of income
In a care home the welfare office uses the pension almost entirely for the fees. The resident keeps the personal allowance of €152.01 and a clothing allowance (section 27b SGB XII). Example: a mother in Saarland with a €1,300 pension and €25,000 of savings has a gap of €2,395 a month in her first year. After about 7 months her savings are down to the protected amount, and from then the welfare office covers the gap. The calculator above shows this for every state.
At home: the income limit
If care at home costs more than the allowance and services cover, for example with several visits a day, social assistance can close the gap. An income limit applies: twice the standard rate, reasonable housing costs and a family supplement for the spouse and dependants (section 85 SGB XII). Income below the limit is generally not used; above it a reasonable contribution is expected, but at grades 4 and 5 at most 40 % of the excess (section 87 SGB XII).
Income limit for social assistance for care at home
Income above the limit
€229
| Income limit | €2,171 |
| Basic amount | €1,126 |
| Family supplement per person | €395 |
Above the limit a reasonable contribution can be expected (section 87 SGB XII); below it only in exceptions.
Savings and property
All realisable assets must be used, with exceptions (section 90 SGB XII): reasonable household goods, a reasonable owner-occupied home while relatives live in it, heirlooms whose sale would be a hardship, and small cash amounts up to €10,000 per adult (section 1 of the regulation). A small extra applies for each dependant. If a sale is not immediately possible, for example a let flat, help can be granted as a loan.
Spouses and children
Spouses who are not separated are included with income and assets. Children only pay for their parents if their own annual income exceeds €100,000, which the office initially presumes it does not (section 94(1a) SGB XII). For the full order see who pays for a care home.
Common misunderstandings
“The children’s house will be sold.” No. Children’s assets play no part in social assistance for their parents, and their income only above €100,000 a year. It is different if the parents gave them something in the last ten years; the welfare office can then reclaim the gift.
“Residents on welfare get worse care.” No. The home receives the same rate whether the resident or the welfare office pays, and the care fund keeps paying its amount and the supplement. A home may not treat residents on social assistance differently.
“The office will claim everything back later.” Social assistance for care is generally not a loan. Repayment only arises in special cases, for example where it was expressly granted as a loan because a house could not be sold at once, and through heirs’ liability: after death, heirs must repay costs of the last ten years from the estate where it exceeds three times the basic amount, with a higher allowance of €15,340 for relatives who lived with and cared for the person (section 102 SGB XII). Your own savings are never at stake.
The application step by step
- Tell the welfare office where your parent lives or where the home is, informally, that social assistance for care is needed. The date counts.
- Gather documents: the care fund decision, the home contract, pension statements, bank statements, proof of savings and insurance policies.
- Complete the office’s forms; the home often helps but may only pass on data with consent.
- Check the decision: personal allowance, income used, assets counted. An objection is possible within one month.