Overview
- Statutory care cash benefits (Pflegegeld) will not rise in 2026, staying at 2025 levels with the next scheduled adjustment on January 1, 2028.
- Current monthly Pflegegeld remains at €347 (PG2), €599 (PG3), €800 (PG4) and €990 (PG5), with no payment for PG1.
- The relief allowance stays at €131 per month in 2026 and the combined annual budget for respite and short‑term care remains up to €3,539.
- A study reports only about 40% of eligible people use the relief allowance, citing reimbursement requirements, varying state rules and fast‑exhausted funds due to provider costs.
- The government is discussing a wage‑replacement ‘Familienpflegegeld’ and weighing the possible removal of Pflegegrad 1 affecting roughly 860,000 people, as the Health Ministry flags a 2026 funding gap of about €2 billion; no decisions have been adopted.