Bundesportal | Apply to the long-term care insurance fund for the group living allowance for individuals in need of care

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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).

Call 115 now

Government service telephone number calls are charged at local rates.

If you live with other people who require care in a shared care home or a similar living group and need help organizing the care and daily life within the group, you can apply for a group living supplement from 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.

The residential group allowance is 224.00 EUR per month, regardless of your care level (as of 2025). This money is your share toward jointly hiring a daily living assistant. This person, also known as a support worker, assists your living group with daily life—for example, with household chores, organizational matters, or group activities. You are generally required to provide the name and contact information of the person you have hired on your long-term care insurance fund’s application form.

An informal confirmation that you live with at least 2 and no more than 11 other people in a group home receiving outpatient care, in a shared apartment for the purpose of collectively organized care, and that at least 2 of these other people are in need of care
Address and date of establishment of the residential group
Rental agreement with a floor plan of the apartment and a care agreement

Depending on the individual case, additional documents may be required, such as an agreement with the designated person regarding the tasks to be performed. Please check with your long-term care insurance provider for more information.

Preconditions

You have statutory long-term care insurance.
You have at least Care Level 1.
You live with at least 2 and no more than 11 other people in a group home with outpatient care in a shared apartment, at least 2 of whom must require long-term care.
This apartment exists for the purpose of providing collectively organized long-term care.
You receive outpatient long-term care services.
You are not receiving full-time or part-time residential care.
You have collectively appointed a person to assist you with daily life, household tasks, and organizing communal living.

You do not have to pay anything for the application.

Basis for legal action

§ 45f Elftes Buch Sozialgesetzbuch (SGB XI)

Legal Remedies

Appeal
Lawsuit before the Social Security Court

Procedure

To receive the group living allowance, you must first appoint someone to assist your group with daily living activities.

You can submit the application for the group living allowance by mail, for example, or—with many long-term care insurance funds—submit it in person at the office or online.
Download the application form from your long-term care insurance provider’s website.
Fill out the application.
Submit the application to your long-term care insurance provider.
As with the long-term care allowance, payments are made monthly in advance.

Deadlines

Entitlement to the benefit begins upon submission of the application, but no earlier than the date on which the eligibility requirements are met. If the application is not submitted in the calendar month in which the need for long-term care arose, but at a later date, the benefit is granted starting from the beginning of the month in which the application was submitted.

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 have all the 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.

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