Overview
- Care allowance (Pflegegeld) remains a non‑taxable, purpose‑bound payment that is generally not treated as income for the care recipient or pension calculations.
- Transfers of care allowance can affect income tests for others: money passed to a caregiver outside the household with only a moral duty is half counted, and fully counted if no such duty exists.
- Payments can be reduced or paused for missed mandatory consultation visits, inadequate verified home care, long hospital or rehab stays beyond four weeks, overseas stays beyond six weeks, or detention.
- The 2025 benefit levels hold in 2026 (Pflegegrad 2: €347; 3: €599; 4: €800; 5: €990), the €131 monthly relief amount continues with carryover to June 30 of the following year, and the new annual relief budget of up to €3,539 applies.
- Housing benefit is recalculated on a two‑year cycle with the next adjustment due in 2027; it is paid retroactively from the month of application, excludes one‑off utility back‑payments from eligibility calculations, offers disability‑related income disregards (e.g., €1,800 per eligible member), and may be better coordinated with the child supplement under a proposal from Minister Verena Hubertz.