How much is the child supplement in 2026?

At most 297 € per child a month, including the 25 € immediate supplement. The amount has applied since 1 January 2025 and is unchanged in 2026, because under § 6a (2) BKGG it never falls below the previous year. Together with child benefit of 259 €, families get up to 556 € per child. The child's own income and parental income above the parents' own needs reduce the amount.

Who is entitled to the child supplement?

Parents who receive child benefit for an unmarried child under 25 living in their household, have at least 900 € gross a month (single parents 600 €) and, with the child supplement, child benefit and any housing benefit, do not need basic income support. If no more than 100 € is missing, extended access still allows the child supplement as long as the parents have earned income.

How is the child supplement calculated?

The family benefits office starts with 297 € per child and deducts 45 % of the child's income, e.g. maintenance or advance maintenance. It then compares the parents' adjusted income with their needs: standard rate, any additional need for single parents and a fixed share of the rent including heating. If income is higher, every euro of earned income reduces the child supplement by 45 cents, other income by a full euro.

Is there a maximum income limit for the child supplement?

Not a fixed one. The child supplement runs out once the parents' countable income exceeds their needs by more than the maximum amount divided by 0.45. With one child that is 660 € above the needs, with two children 1,320 €. How much gross pay that is depends on rent, number of children and tax class. The calculator shows your personal limit.

Which share of the rent counts towards the parents' needs?

Rent including heating is split according to the 12th subsistence minimum report. Single parents with one child bear 77 %, with two children 63 %, with three 53 %, with four 46 % and with five 40 %. For couples it is 83, 71, 62, 55 and 50 %. The rest counts as the children's housing need and is covered by child benefit and the child supplement.

Is maintenance or advance maintenance counted?

Yes, but only at 45 % and only against the child supplement of the child it is paid for. If a child receives 299 € advance maintenance, its child supplement falls by 134.55 € to 162.45 €. In 2026 advance maintenance is 227 € (age 0 to 5), 299 € (6 to 11) and 394 € (12 to 17). You must claim priority entitlements to maintenance or advance maintenance, otherwise there is no child supplement for that child.

Child supplement or basic income support – which is better?

Your numbers decide, not you. If your income plus child supplement, child benefit and housing benefit covers the whole family's needs, you get the child supplement and the job centre is not responsible. If more than 100 € is missing or you have no earned income, basic income support (formerly citizen's income) is the right route. You cannot get both at the same time.

Which benefits come on top of the child supplement?

With the child supplement your children are entitled to education and participation benefits: 195 € school supplies per school year (130 € for the first and 65 € for the second half-year), free lunch at daycare and school, full costs of trips and class trips, school transport, tutoring and 15 € a month for clubs, music or sport. You can also apply to the youth welfare office to be exempted from daycare fees.

For how long is the child supplement granted?

For six months from the month in which you apply. It is not paid retroactively. It is based on the average income of the six months before the application. If your income changes during the six months, the amount stays the same. Afterwards you submit a new application, which can be done online with the family benefits office.

Do savings count for the child supplement?

Only substantial assets. They count only above 40,000 € for the applicant and 15,000 € for each further family member, so 85,000 € for a family of four. Owner-occupied property, reasonable household goods, a reasonable car per person able to work and subsidised pension savings are not counted.

Where do I apply for the child supplement?

With the family benefits office (Familienkasse) of the Federal Employment Agency, most easily online. Beforehand you can check with the office's KiZ-Lotse whether you might be eligible. You need payslips for the last six months, your tenancy agreement or service charge statement and proof of maintenance or advance maintenance. The service number 0800 4 5555 30 is free of charge.

Child Supplement and Housing Benefit or Basic Income Support – Which Fits Your Family? | Child Supplement Calculator

Child supplement, housing benefit or basic income support (formerly citizen's income)? For families on low incomes this is one of the most important questions. The answer depends on whether your income plus child supplement and housing benefit covers the whole family's needs. As of October 2026.

Child supplement and housing benefit go together

The child supplement and housing benefit do not exclude each other – quite the opposite: most families receiving the child supplement also receive housing benefit. In its check, the family benefits office even uses the housing benefit you are likely to receive, even if you have not applied for it yet. Child supplement and child benefit do not count as income for housing benefit.

You can check your housing benefit with the housing benefit calculator. The child supplement calculator estimates housing benefit automatically when you enter your town's rent level.

Basic income support rules out both

Anyone who receives basic income support from the job centre gets neither child supplement nor housing benefit. Basic income support covers the family's entire needs including reasonable rent. Your numbers decide which benefit applies, not you.

The family benefits office's check

The office compares the family's needs under SGB II with all its resources:

Needs: standard rates of all family members (2026: 563 € for single parents, 506 € per partner, 357 € to 471 € for children), additional needs and the full rent including heating.
Resources: parents' countable income, children's maintenance, child benefit, child supplement and housing benefit.

If resources cover the needs, the child supplement is paid. If money is missing, the job centre is responsible – with one exception.

Extended access

Under § 6a (1a) BKGG the child supplement is also paid if the family is no more than 100 € short. The parents must have earned income giving an allowance of at least 100 €, and no one in the family may receive or have applied for basic income support or social assistance.

An example from the family benefits office's leaflet: a married couple with two children (11 and 16) has needs of 2,773 €. With 1,030 € countable income, 518 € child benefit, 600 € housing benefit and 594 € child supplement they reach 2,742 €. They are 31 € short, so they get the child supplement through extended access.

The catch: using extended access means doing without basic income support and therefore some concessions, such as the exemption from the broadcasting fee. The family benefits office can advise you.

Example: couple with two young children

A couple with two children (2 and 6) lives in a town with rent level IV and pays 800 € rent incl. service charges plus 120 € heating. The father earns 1,900 € gross, 1,450 € net; the mother looks after the children and has no income of her own.

Countable income: 1,450 € minus 378 € = 1,072 €.
Parents' needs: 1,012 € plus 71 % of 920 € = 1,665.20 €. Income is below that, so the full child supplement of 594 € remains.
Family needs: 1,012 € plus 357 € plus 390 € plus 920 € = 2,679 €.
Resources: 1,072 € plus 518 € child benefit plus 594 € child supplement plus an estimated 790 € housing benefit = about 2,970 €.

The needs are covered, so the family receives child supplement and housing benefit instead of basic income support. Open the example in the calculator. Without housing benefit about 500 € would be missing, which is why housing benefit must always be considered. If the mother received parental allowance, it would count as other parental income; the parental leave calculator shows how much.

Which is better for the family?

If child supplement and housing benefit cover the needs, families often end up with a similar or higher budget than with basic income support and have fewer obligations towards the job centre. They keep more freedom regarding housing and savings and are still entitled to education and participation benefits. If you are clearly below your needs, basic income support is the safe choice. The basic income support calculator estimates the amount.

*Sources: § 6a BKGG; child supplement leaflet of the family benefits office, July 2026; Housing Benefit Act; § 20 and § 23 SGB II. As of October 2026.*

Child Supplement and Housing Benefit or Basic Income Support – Which Fits Your Family?

Child supplement and housing benefit go together

Basic income support rules out both

The family benefits office's check

Extended access

Example: couple with two young children

Which is better for the family?

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