Bundesportal | Apply for care allowance in the social care insurance

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Publisher

Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (BMG)

Last update or date of publication

September 4, 2026

Contact

The government service telephone number 115 – your point of contact for questions related to the federal, state and local.

Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 18:00 (and beyond these times in some regions).

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Government service telephone number calls are charged at local rates.

If you require long-term care, you can decide for yourself who will provide your care and where. If you receive in-home care from family members, acquaintances, or other volunteers, you will receive a care allowance from your long-term care insurance. You can apply for this through your long-term care insurance fund. The long-term care insurance fund is affiliated with your statutory health insurance provider, so you can use the same contact information.

You are eligible for a long-term care allowance if you

are classified in care levels 2, 3, 4, or 5 and
can use the long-term care allowance—in an amount commensurate with your care level—to appropriately ensure the necessary physical care measures, nursing support, and assistance with household chores.

The long-term care allowance is paid to you monthly by your long-term care insurance fund. You may choose to pass it on directly to the person who cares for you as a token of appreciation for the care and support they provide at home with great dedication and self-sacrifice. The amount of the monthly care allowance is graded according to your level of care need (as of 2026):

Care Level 2: 347.00 EUR
Care Level 3: 599.00 EUR
Care Level 4: 800.00 EUR
Care Level 5: 990.00 EUR

During short-term care or respite care, you will continue to receive 50 percent of the long-term care allowance.

You do not need to submit any documents when applying for a long-term care allowance.
Depending on your specific situation, additional documents may be required. Please check with your long-term care insurance provider for more information.

Label

Preconditions

You are classified in care level 2, 3, 4, or 5

With the care allowance—the amount of which is determined accordingly—you can appropriately arrange for the necessary physical care and nursing care, as well as assistance with household management, on your own.

You do not have to pay anything for the application.

Basis for legal action

§ 37 Elftes Buch Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB XI)

Legal Remedies

Objection
Action before the social court

Procedure

You can submit your application for a long-term care allowance by mail, for example, or—with many long-term care insurance funds—in person at their office or online.

You submit the application for long-term care benefits to your long-term care insurance fund. If you are unable to do so yourself, you can authorize someone in writing to act on your behalf.
The long-term care insurance fund will review your application for long-term care benefits and
will transfer your monthly long-term care allowance to you.

Deadlines

Entitlement to care allowance applies from the date of application, but not earlier than the date on which the conditions for entitlement are met. If the application is not submitted in the calendar month in which the need for care arose, but later, benefits are granted from the beginning of the month in which the application is submitted. You should therefore submit the application in good time.

Processing time

Processing usually takes about 2 to 3 business days.
To ensure prompt processing and a decision, your long-term care insurance provider must receive all necessary information and, if applicable, any required documents—complete and detailed.
The long-term care insurance provider will make a decision on applications in a timely manner.
Please note that the processing time indicated is an average across all long-term care insurance funds. It may vary in individual cases.
The exact processing time also depends on the complexity of the individual case and may be extended accordingly. The same applies if documents or records are sent by mail to you or your long-term care insurance provider.
If necessary, the Medical Service may need to be involved.