Overview
- The Social Ministry confirmed, in response to a Greens inquiry, that parents must apply separately for the new payment replacing Familiengeld.
- The Greens warn of an administrative surge of more than 100,000 additional applications each year and urge the Landtag to stop the bill.
- The Kinderstartgeld is a one-time €3,000 payment for children born from 1 January 2025, payable on the first birthday starting in 2026.
- Applications will be handled by the Zentrum Bayern Familie und Soziales, and the form can be filed alongside Elterngeld but remains a distinct request.
- Under the old system most families received Familiengeld automatically via the Elterngeld process, with only about four percent needing separate claims; the government says the redesign frees funds for daycare, targeting roughly €1 billion by 2030.