# Care provision

Mithilfe dieses Antrags können Sie Hilfe zur Pflege im Rahmen der Sozialhilfe beantragen.

You are entitled to an interest-free loan for the time you are caring for close relatives.

The loan:

• Is intended to help cushion the loss of earnings you incur due to the reduction, or loss, of earned income,
• is paid in monthly installments,
• must be repaid in installments at the end of the leave,
• is applied for at the Federal Office for Family and Civil Society Tasks.

The monthly loan instalments are granted in the amount of half the difference between the flat-rate monthly net salaries before and during the family care leave, or the care leave.

The decisive factor for calculating the lump-sum monthly net salary before the leave of absence is the monthly gross salary without taking into account benefits in kind paid in the last 12 months. One-time payments and other remuneration (such as vacation pay or bonuses) are taken into account in the calculation.

Even in the case of a complete leave of absence during the care period, a fictitious gainful employment of 15 hours is assumed for the calculation of the loan. Therefore, the loan replaces a maximum of half of the difference between the income before the care leave and the fictitious income from 15 hours per week.

The loan instalments are transferred to the specified account at the beginning of each calendar month in which the eligibility requirements are met.

You also have the option of applying for a lower loan - up to a minimum of 50 euros per month. You have to claim the loan as a priority before receiving means-tested social benefits. When calculating social benefits, a loan granted to you will always be counted as income.

If there is an acute care situation in your family, you can be absent from work for up to 10 working days and receive care support allowance. For a care leave of up to 6 months, you are entitled to subsidies for health and care insurance in certain cases.

If you need care as a result of an occupational accident, commuting accident or occupational disease, you can receive care allowance and other benefits from the statutory accident insurance.

To make it easier for you to care for relatives at home, you can attend free care courses and training sessions via your care insurance fund.

If you are in need of care and are being cared for at home, you can apply for care benefits in kind.

If you are cared for at home by relatives or acquaintances, you can apply for care allowance from your care insurance fund.