From what income is the child supplement paid, and up to what income? The lower limit is in the law, the upper one is not. As of October 2026. Here is how both limits work and how to work out your personal maximum income.
The minimum income: 900 € or 600 € gross
Under § 6a (1) no. 2 BKGG, parents need income of at least 900 € a month, single parents at least 600 €. This means gross income, before tax, social security and allowances. For couples, both partners' incomes are added together.
- Wages and salaries count, including from a mini-job or part-time work, self-employment income, unemployment benefit, sickness benefit, parental allowance and pensions.
- Child benefit, housing benefit and the child supplement itself do not count.
- What matters is the average of the six months before the application.
Anyone who has only received basic income support does not reach the minimum. The limit makes sure the child supplement reaches families with income of their own.
The maximum income: individual
Since the 2020 reform there has been no fixed upper limit. Instead the child supplement phases out gradually. Every euro of earned income above the parents' needs reduces it by 45 cents. It reaches zero when the excess equals the maximum amount divided by 0.45:
B is the parents' needs and n the number of children without income of their own. So each child moves the limit up by 660 € of countable income.
| Children | Room above the parents' needs |
|---|---|
| 1 | 660 € |
| 2 | 1,320 € |
| 3 | 1,980 € |
| 4 | 2,640 € |
Example: couple with three children
A couple has three children (3, 7 and 10) and pays 900 € rent including service charges plus 120 € heating. The father earns 3,200 € gross, 2,350 € net. The mother stays at home.
- Countable income: 2,350 € minus the 378 € earned-income allowance = 1,972 €.
- Parents' needs: 1,012 € standard rate plus 62 % of 1,020 € rent incl. heating (632.40 €) = 1,644.40 €.
- Excess: 327.60 €, 45 % of which is 147.42 €.
- Child supplement: 3 × 297 € = 891 € minus 147.42 € = 743.58 €, rounded 744 € a month.
- Maximum income: 1,644.40 € plus 1,980 € = 3,624.40 € of countable income.
A gross salary of 3,200 € is therefore still well below the limit. That surprises many families: the child supplement is not just for very low incomes. Try this example in the calculator.
What pushes the limit up
- High rent: a larger housing share raises the parents' needs and thus the limit.
- More children: every child without income adds 660 € of room.
- Single parent: the additional need of up to 60 % of the standard rate raises the needs.
- Allowances: each working parent has an allowance of up to 378 €. Two earners therefore have more room than one earner with the same total income.
What pulls the limit down
- Children's income: maintenance and advance maintenance reduce the maximum for that child and so the room.
- Parents' other income: unemployment or sickness benefit above the needs reduces the child supplement in full, not just by 45 %.
Too low is a problem too
If income is only just above the minimum, it often does not cover the whole family's needs. Then basic income support is the right route. If no more than 100 € is missing, extended access helps. The calculator shows both. What to do next is explained in the main guide to the child supplement.
*Sources: § 6a BKGG; child supplement leaflet of the family benefits office, July 2026; § 11b SGB II. As of October 2026.*