Care allowance payments in 2026 – All important dates, rules, and tips for organizing care at home

Care allowance is a key cash benefit provided by long-term care insurance for people in need of care who are cared for at home. Planning for the 2026 care allowance payment is particularly important at the end of the year, as family members, friends, or neighbors providing care need reliable information on payment dates, rules, and the best way to organize home care.

This article provides a comprehensive overview of eligibility, requirements, amounts, payment dates, common issues, and practical tips for families.

What is care allowance?

Care allowance is a monthly cash benefit under SGB XI (Social Security Code XI) for people with recognized need for care when they are cared for at home by family members, friends, neighbors, or other caregivers.

It serves as financial recognition for the care provided and offers scope for flexible use of support services, for example for domestic help, care aids, respite services or supplementary care.

Requirements for entitlement to care allowance § 37 SGB XI

Entitlement to care allowance is based on Section 37 of SGB XI, which defines care allowance for home care.

The following is decisive:

• A recognized need for care from care level 2 onwards,
• Care is provided in the home environment.
• There is no exclusive provision of care by a nursing service.

Persons in need of care and the insurance law framework

Those eligible are individuals insured under social or private long-term care insurance who have been assigned a corresponding level of care.

Care levels: meaning and differentiation

Care allowance with care level 1

• Slight need for support
• No entitlement to care allowance, but entitlement to other benefits such as care aids or the relief amount.

Care allowance with care level 2

• Start of entitlement to care allowance
• Relevant category for many family caregivers.

Care allowance with care level 3 to 5

• Increasing demand for care
• Higher amounts for nursing care allowances, but also for nursing care benefits in kind and combination benefits.

Amount of care allowance in 2026 per care level

• Care level 2: €347
• Care level 3: €599
• Care level 4: €800
• Care level 5: €990

Significance for everyday nursing care

These amounts enable families to organize necessary support and relief in a flexible manner.

Payment of nursing care allowance in 2026: basic principles

Care allowance is always paid on the first working day of the month. This rule applies to all care insurance funds throughout Germany.

If the first calendar day or the regular payday falls on

• Saturday
• Sunday
• holiday

the transfer will automatically be postponed to the next business day or working day.

Payment is made monthly in advance for the respective calendar month, ensuring predictable financial support.

Month 2026	Estimated payment date
January 2026	January 2, 2026 (Friday)
February 2026	February 2, 2026 (Monday)
March 2026	March 2, 2026 (Monday)
April 2026	April 1, 2026 (Wednesday)
May 2026	May 1, 2026 (Friday)
June 2026	June 1, 2026 (Monday)
July 2026	July 1, 2026 (Wednesday)
August 2026	August 3, 2026 (Monday)
September 2026	September 1, 2026 (Tuesday)
October 2026	October 1, 2026 (Thursday)
November 2026	November 2, 2026 (Monday)
December 2026	December 1, 2026 (Tuesday)

Role of the nursing care insurance fund in the payment

The nursing care insurance fund transfers the nursing care allowance directly to the specified account of the person in need of care. Forwarding it to relatives is a private matter.

What information does the nursing care insurance fund require?

Important factors are:

• IBAN / Account details
• Date of recognition of the care level
• Contact information (mailing address, email)

The first payment is usually made in the month following recognition of the care level, but retroactively from the date on which the care level was determined.

Special features for payments in the calendar month and following month

Care allowance during hospital or rehabilitation stays

If a person in need of care is temporarily in hospital or a rehabilitation clinic, the staff there will take over their care.

Because home care is not provided during this period, full care allowance is not paid.

What does that mean specifically?

• The care allowance will continue to be paid for up to four weeks (28 days) per year.
• If the stay lasts longer, no further care allowance will be paid from the 29th day onwards as long as the person is receiving inpatient treatment.

As soon as the person is cared for at home again, the long-term care insurance fund will pay the full care allowance again the following month.

Change in care level

If the condition of a person in need of care improves or worsens, a new level of care can be determined.

What happens to the payout then?

• The nursing care insurance fund will pay the new amount starting on the first day of the next month.
• This applies both to an increase (e.g., from care level 2 to 3) and to a downgrade.

Why not starting next month?

Because care allowance is always paid in advance for the coming month.
Therefore, the new care level can only be taken into account from the following month.

What to do in case of delayed or incorrect payment?

Despite the strict legal regulations governing the payment of care allowances, delays, missing payments, or incorrect amounts can occasionally occur in practice. This is particularly stressful for people in need of care and their relatives, as care allowances are often earmarked to secure home care. This makes it all the more important to know how to respond correctly in such situations, what steps are necessary, and how future problems can be avoided.

Common causes

• data error
• Account change without notification
• Delays during holidays

What you can do

• Immediate contact with the nursing care insurance fund
• Verification of account details
• Written inquiry with date and brief description of the error
• Have any additional payments checked

The significance of Section 37 SGB XI

Section 37 of SGB XI defines the care allowance as a cash benefit for home care.

Key content:

• Entitlement from care level 2 at least,
• Freedom of choice between care allowance, care benefits in kind, or a combination of both
• Obligation to provide regular counseling services for care levels 2 and 3 (every six months) and for care levels 4 and 5 (every three months).

Care allowance, care benefits in kind, and combination benefits

The care allowance offers people in need of care and their relatives important financial flexibility to tailor home care to their individual needs. As the benefit is freely available, families can decide for themselves how to use the money wisely, whether to reward caregivers, finance help in the household, or purchase necessary care aids. Its flexible use makes the care allowance a key source of support in everyday life and enables care that is tailored precisely to personal needs.

Care allowance

The care allowance is a cash benefit paid directly to the person in need of care. It is particularly suitable when care at home is organized by relatives, friends, neighbors, or other private helpers.

Advantages of the care allowance:

• The family can decide for themselves who will provide the care.
• The money can be used flexibly in everyday life, e.g. for support, travel expenses, small purchases, or recognition of caregivers.
• It promotes self-determination because professional care is not absolutely necessary.

Long-term care benefits in kind

Care benefits in kind are services provided directly by an outpatient care service and billed to the long-term care insurance fund. This means that the person in need of care does not receive any money; instead, the insurance fund covers the costs of certain care services.

Typical benefits in kind:

• Basic care (e.g., personal hygiene, dressing, nutrition)
• Treatment care (e.g., administering medication)
• Support in the household
• Professional guidance from relatives

Advantage:
Care is provided by trained specialists, which gives you peace of mind, especially if you require a high level of care.

Combination service

The combined benefit arises when care benefits in kind are partially used, but the care service does not exhaust the entire entitlement to benefits. The unused portion is then paid out as a percentage of the care allowance.

Example:

• The nursing service uses 60% of the benefits-in-kind budget.
• The person requiring care receives an additional 40% of the care allowance.

Advantages of the combination:

• Ideal for families who need professional help but also want to provide some of the care themselves.
• High flexibility in the design of the supply.
• A good way to relieve the burden on family caregivers without completely foregoing care allowance.

Possible uses of the care allowance

Support from family or friends

Many families use the care allowance as recognition for the efforts of:

• friends
• Neighbors
• acquaintances
• Volunteers

Domestic help and everyday support

The care allowance enables the use of professional help.

• Cleaning and shopping
• Essence preparation
• Support in everyday life
• Accompaniment to medical appointments

Financing of care aids

These include:

• Incontinence material
• Care beds
• everyday aids
• Mobility aids

Application and recognition of the level of care required

You should follow these steps when applying for a care level. You can find a detailed explanation here:

1. Application to the long-term care insurance fund (by telephone, in writing, or by email)
2. Home visit by the MD (Medical Service)
3. Determination of the need for care
4. Written notification of the decision
5. Payment from date of approval

Explanation of terms: Long-term care insurance, care services, and care assistants

long-term care insurance

Long-term care insurance is part of the statutory social insurance system. It covers the costs of various care services, including care allowances, care benefits in kind, and support from care services. Its aim is to provide financial and organizational relief for people in need of care.

Professional care services

Care services come to your home and take on important care tasks, for example:

• Personal hygiene (washing, dressing),
• Mobilization (assistance with standing up or walking),
• administration of medication,
• Domestic tasks (cleaning, shopping).

They ensure that the person in need of care is looked after safely and professionally.

Domestic help and everyday assistance

Household helpers complement the work of care services. They handle tasks such as cleaning, cooking, laundry, shopping, or accompanying the person to appointments. This makes daily life noticeably easier for the person in need of care and provides relief for family members. Learn more now about home help for Care Level 1!

Tips for financial planning and optimization

Monthly budget planning

At the beginning of each month, it is worth planning your financial resources and upcoming expenses. This includes both fixed costs such as rent, care aids, or domestic help, as well as the anticipated cost of care. Structured budget planning helps you to use your care allowance in a targeted manner and avoid financial bottlenecks.

Combination of services

Many families benefit from combining several benefits wisely.

This means:

• Care allowance for support provided by relatives or friends,
• Care benefits in kind for nursing services,
• Relief amount for additional help in everyday life.

A conscious combination of these elements creates a customized support model that relieves the burden on both the person in need of care and their relatives.

documentation

It is advisable to keep written records of all expenses, care tasks, and important procedures. The documentation serves as an overview for the family, assists with budget planning, and can be helpful if questions from the long-term care insurance fund need to be clarified later on. It also provides caregivers with a clear basis for their activities.

Care allowance as the central cash benefit for home care

The care allowance enables those affected to continue living in their own homes even as their need for care increases. It creates financial leeway, promotes self-determination, and strengthens the commitment of family caregivers.

Organization of care measures at home

Clear organization is crucial to ensuring that home care runs smoothly and reliably. Regular discussions between relatives, caregivers, and any care services involved help to distribute tasks sensibly and better coordinate everyday care. This includes, for example, who helps with the household chores, who accompanies the patient to appointments, or who takes on certain care tasks. Good planning creates security for everyone involved and reduces stress.

Support in everyday life through domestic help

Professional home care aides provide valuable support by taking care of everyday tasks such as cleaning, cooking, laundry, and shopping. This frees up more time and energy for actual care and personal attention. For many families, this assistance provides much-needed relief, significantly improving the quality of care and noticeably easing the burden on family caregivers.