Care support allowance: Calculate and apply for wage replacement benefit

Unfortunately, it can happen at any time that a member of your family becomes an acute care case due to an accident or sudden illness and you now have to take care of the person concerned in addition to your work and therefore may have to neglect your work, as caring for a close relative can be particularly time-consuming.

As an employee, you are protected against such a case by the care support allowance, as this measure guarantees temporary financial security that can last up to ten days per year, as this wage replacement benefit can be claimed by employees who are temporarily unable to work due to a family care situation.

What is care support allowance?

In 2015, the Care Leave Act [mfn]Care Leave Act[/mfn] was introduced, which aims to help balance caregiving responsibilities with professional life. It allows working individuals to care for their family members without suffering financial losses due to unpaid leave from work.

The state offer is aimed at employees whose relatives suddenly and unexpectedly need care. As a family carer, you can take up to 10 days a year off work from your employer without forfeiting your salary. This time is compensated by the care support allowance. During this period, you can take care of your family member at home until other care options have been organized. The care support allowance is paid as compensation for lost wages by the care insurance and not by the health insurance.

The care support allowance is paid for a maximum of up to 10 working days by the relevant long-term care insurance fund, but it is not necessary to claim all ten days at once.

It is also possible to look after another relative in need of care for another ten days after you have looked after one person in need of care for ten days. However, you may not look after the same person again if you wish to apply for care support allowance.

This entitlement can be claimed in full each year, provided that the annual maximum limit of ten days has not yet been reached. The frequency of use depends on whether and when a care case occurs and whether the annual maximum limit of ten days has already been reached.

Do I need the certificate of earnings when applying for care support allowance?

Yes, in order for the amount of care support allowance to which you are entitled to be determined, you must submit your certificate of income to the care insurance fund or the private insurance company of the relative in need of care. The amount depends on your net salary and is calculated on the basis of this.

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Definition: Next of kin

You can claim your entitlement to care support allowance for the following close relatives during the guaranteed ten days.

1. Grandparents, parents, parents-in-law, stepparents
2. Spouses, life partners, partners in a marriage-like or life partnership-like relationship, siblings, siblings of spouses and spouses of siblings, life partners of siblings and siblings of life partners
3. Children, adopted or foster children, adopted or foster children of the spouse or partner, grandchildren and children-in-law

What is an "acute care situation"?

A care situation is acuteas soon as the relative's condition deteriorates quickly and rapidly to such an extent that the relative is dependent on the care of an outside person. It does not matter what causes such an acute care situation. Be it an accident, severe physical or mental impairment due to advanced illness or the recovery phase after a hospital visit.

However, you cannot receive care support allowance as a preventative measure. This means that the fear of caring for a relative in the future is not sufficient to receive care support allowance.

Who can apply for care support allowance?

Anyone in employment is entitled to apply for care support allowance, regardless of the type of employment. This means that you can be employed full-time, part-time or even marginally. It is important to note that you are not able to work while you are providing care assistance services and are therefore not paid by your employer for the period of up to ten days.

Care support allowance for civil servants

Whether civil servants can receive care support allowance for short-term care situations depends on various factors. These include the different regulations depending on the federal state or whether the civil servant pays contributions to statutory health insurance. It is advisable to contact the responsible authority directly to obtain information on the specific support benefits for civil servants in care situations.

Can the short-term absence from work and the care support allowance be split between several relatives?

The care support allowance can be shared between several caregiving relatives if they are jointly caring for a relative who is in an acute care situation. In such situations, the care periods must be divided into sections and allocated to the respective carers. This means that two people cannot receive care support allowance at the same time if they are caring for the same person.

For example, a split between two people could mean that one person takes on the first seven days and the other person the following three days. The entitlement to care support allowance is valid for a total of ten working days and should be divided fairly between the caregivers based on the days of care provided or the days of lost earnings.

Calculating the amount of the care support allowance

The care support allowance is based on the net salary (with one-off payment in the last 12 months) of the carer.

If there were no additional payments in wages in the 12 months prior to the start of the care period, such as Christmas or vacation pay, the care support allowance will amount to 90 percent of the net pay actually lost.

However, if one-off payments were made in the last 12 months before the start of care leave, the care support allowance will always amount to 100 percent of the net pay actually lost, regardless of the amount of the one-off payment.

Sample calculation of the care support allowance

If you have not received a one-off payment in the 12 months prior to your leave of absence due to the need for care, the care support allowance is based on 90% of your net salary. However, if you received a one-off payment in the period in question, the amount of the care support allowance will increase to 100% of your net salary.

• Let's assume you earn 2,500 euros net per month. If you receive 90 percent support for seven days of care, the calculation is as follows:
• First, we divide your monthly income by the number of days in the month to get the daily amount: 2200 euros / 30 days = 73.33 euros per day
• We then multiply this daily amount by 90 percent to calculate the care support allowance: 73.33 euros x 0.9 = 66 euros per day
• For seven days of care, the total payment amounts to: 66 euros x 7 days = 462 euros

It should also be noted that your care support allowance per day may not exceed 70 percent of the contribution assessment ceiling in accordance with Section 233 (3) of SGB V [mfn]Section 233 (3) of SGB V[/mfn]. Since January 1, 2023, this maximum amount per day has therefore been 116.38 euros.

Apply for care support allowance

As a rule, you can apply for care support allowance if you have to look after a close relative who needs care due to an acute need for care and you are therefore unable to work.

To apply for care support allowance smoothly, you should follow these steps:

1. Inform employers
2. Obtain a medical certificate for care support allowance
3. Apply for care support allowance from the care insurance fund

Inform employer about leave of absence

Before you apply for care support allowance, you should inform your employer immediately and without delaythat you wish to take time off work. If you apply for the leave of absence, you can refer to Section 2 (1) of the CaregiverLeave Act [mfn]Section 2 (1) of the Caregiver Leave Act[/mfn] to inform your employer of the reason for your absence. Also inform them how many days you plan to take.

Medical certificate for care support allowance

You must then obtain a medical certificate from the doctor responsible for the person in need of care. This way, your employer knows that it really is an acute care situation. In addition, the certificate must also be enclosed with the application to the long-term care insurance fund or the private insurance company, depending on whether the person in need of care has statutory or private insurance.

The certificate must

1. Name of the person in need of care,
2. the period of short-term absence from work,
3. and a medical certificate stating that care or organization of care is required for a close relative.

Apply for care support allowance from the care insurance fund

It is important to know that you must submit the application for care support allowance to the care insurance fund of the person in need of care and not to your own care insurance fund. The documents listed below are important for applying for the care support allowance:

• Medical certificate from the doctor of the person in need of care (can also be submitted to the employer at a later date)
• Certificate of remuneration from your employer
• Application for care support allowance (downloadable to fill in or apply by phone)

Can the employer refuse care support allowance?

In the case of an employment relationship, the employer has no right to refuse either the short-term leave of absence or the care support allowance. The care support allowance is paid by the care insurance fund or the private insurance company of the person in need of care. However, you should not forget that the employee may not receive continued remuneration from their employer during this time.

If the employer nevertheless continues to pay remuneration, the employee forfeits their entitlement to care support allowance. However, the employer can request proof of the close relative's need for care. In this case, for example, a medical certificate is required.

How often can I claim care support allowance?

The care support allowance is now available annually. Due to the care reform which came into force on 01.01.2024, the care support allowance and the associated leave of absence from work is now possible for a maximum of ten days, as already mentioned. However, this benefit can now no longer be used just once, but again in the next calendar year for a maximum of ten days per person requiring care.

Social security contributions on care support allowance

The care support allowance is taxable and subject to social security contributions. These include contributions to health insurance, pension insurance and unemployment insurance. If the person receiving care is covered by statutory insurance, the care insurance fund pays half of the social security contributions. Privately insured persons can apply for subsidies.

Conclusion on the care support allowance

In summary, it can be said that the care support allowance is an important financial safeguard that can provide temporary relief for stressed employees who are caring for family members in acute need of care and are therefore unable to work.

The care support allowance

• allows a maximum of ten days off work without loss of salary
• is based on the carer's net salary and is paid out by the long-term care insurance fund
• is requested with an application including a medical certificate from the care insurance fund of the person in need of care
• must not be rejected by the employer

The option of taking time off work without loss of salary makes it easier to reconcile work and caring responsibilities. The clear guidelines and the annual availability of the care support allowance help to ensure that family carers are financially relieved in this challenging situation and can better manage their care responsibilities. It is important that employees know their rights with regard to the care support allowance and submit the application correctly and in good time in order to benefit from this support.