Overview
- The federal child benefit now pays €259 per month per child from 1 January 2026 after a €4 increase.
- The Familienkasse’s 2026 schedule staggers transfers by the last digit of the Kindergeld number, with exact bank posting varying around weekends and holidays.
- Bürgergeld remains at 2025 levels in 2026—€563 for single adults and €357–€471 for children—paid monthly in advance with credits usually on the first working day after transfers on the prior month’s last banking day, serving roughly 5.5 million people.
- A reform to replace Bürgergeld with a stricter Grundsicherung is progressing toward a spring Bundestag vote, with a 1 July 2026 launch only a target.
- Bavaria has removed extra family payments, including canceling a planned €3,000 Kinderstartgeld one‑off.