Bafög and more for studying parents?

If you live in Baden-Württemberg, you can apply for parental allowance and childcare allowance at the Landeskreditbank in Karlsruhe.The option for parents to receive parental allowance at the same time will be reorganized from April 2024. In the future, simultaneous withdrawal will only be possible for a maximum of one month up to the child's 12th month of life. There are exceptions to parallel receipt for Parental Allowance Plus, the partnership bonus and for multiple births and premature babies. When entitled to parental allowance, the income limit for couples with children born from April 2024 will initially fall from 300,000 Euros to 200,000 Euros. From April 2025 it will be 175,000 Euros. For single parents, 150,000 Euros will apply from April 2024. Application and Information: www.l-bank.de

The applicant's individual net income for the last 12 months before the start of the 6-week maternity leave period before the birth is used to calculate the parental allowance (from earned income). As a rule, the amount of parental allowance is calculated at 65 – 67% from this net salary. For low earners, this percentage can increase to 99%. This is achieved with a salary of €416.70. Partners are also entitled to parental allowance if they take parental leave.

Note: Students from abroad are generally not entitled to parental allowance if their residence status is only for the purpose of studying (§16 Residence Act).

General information on the subject of parental allowance can be found in the family guide.

Note: Parental allowance is counted as income towards ALG II. Unless the parental allowance is calculated on the basis of previous employment income.

Parental Allowance Plus strengthens the compatibility of work and family and particularly recognizes the plans of those who want to work part-time again while receiving parental allowance. This means that mothers and fathers have the opportunity to claim parental allowance for longer than before. Parents can receive Parental Allowance Plus for twice as long as Basic Parental Allowance: One month of Basic Parental Allowance corresponds to two months of Parental Allowance Plus. If parents do not work after the birth, the parental allowance plus is half as high as the basic parental allowance. If you work part-time after the birth, the monthly parental allowance plus can be just as high as the monthly basic parental allowance with part-time.

More information on parental allowance plus in the family guide, on the webpage of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth/LK_N] or of the [LK_N https://www.l-bank.de/lbank/inhalt/nav/foerderungen-und-finanzierungen/alle-foerderangebote/fa-familienfoerderung/elterngeld.xml?ceid=100383&suche=true]L-Bank.

Maternity allowance is a wage replacement benefit and is paid depending on your health insurance status. A student with family insurance who is in part-time employment can claim the allowance from the Federal Social Insurance Authority in Bonn.

If the student was covered by statutory health insurance for at least twelve weeks between the tenth and fourth months before the birth and was employed (even on a minor basis), she can apply for maternity allowance from the health insurance company.

Note: The health insurance companies occasionally state that maternity allowance is only paid if you are entitled to sick pay. This is not always correct (§ 200, paragraph 1 RVO).

Parents who live in Germany and are subject to unrestricted income tax receive child allowance as a tax refund in accordance with Section 62 ff. EStG (Income Tax Act). Child benefit is paid regardless of income. As of January 1, 2023, it will be 250 Euros per month per child.

In principle, all children are entitled to child allowance from birth until they reach the age of 18 - and in some cases even beyond. You have to submit an application to the family fund of the Federal Employment Agency. The family fund will inform you in detail about all the basic regulations on the subject of „child allowance“.

The child supplement is additional financial support for working parents who earn enough for themselves, but for whom it is not or only barely enough to cover all of the family's needs.

From January 1, 2024, the child supplement is up to 292 euros per month per child and, together with child allowance, covers the needs of a child.

You can find more information here.

Within the framework of the funds available in the state budget, the state of Baden-Württemberg supports parents of multiple children (triplets or more) with a one-time tax- and seizure-free grant. The subsidy is a one-off amount of €1,700 per multiple child. The subsidy is only granted upon application and must be applied for within twelve months of the birth or after the children have been taken into care.

Parents of multiples (triplets or more) are entitled to a multiple birth grant, if they

• have their place of residence or habitual abode in Baden-Württemberg,
• have personal custody of the children and live in the same household with them,
• raise and look after the children primarily themselves.

More information here: www.l-bank.de

Student parents who live in a household with at least one child of their own who has not yet reached the age of fourteen, the requirement rate increases by 160 euros per month for each of these children. The surcharge is a flat rate without proof of corresponding care costs. Own children are only biological descendants or children adopted through adoption; Section 25 Paragraph 5 BAföG does not apply here. The childcare supplement is only granted to one parent for the same period. If both parents are essentially eligible for funding under BAföG and live in the same household, they decide between themselves who receives the childcare supplement. The other parent must therefore declare on the new Appendix 2 to Form 1 that they do not receive or have applied for the supplement and that they agree to the payment to the applicant trainee.

You can get more detailed information at the LK_N /en/geld/]BAföG Agency[/LK_N] or here: BAföG in case of prenancy or raising children

Did the BAföG not arrive on time? Or has your entitlement to BAföG expired? No reason to panic. For such emergencies, we, the Studierendenwerk Karlsruhe, offer support in the form of short-term and graduation loans. More information here.

In principal, students can receive the citizen’s benefit. However, in certain exceptional cases (e.g. leave of absence due to pregnancy or raising children) you can claim benefits.

You are entitled to additional pregnancy-related needs (after the twelfth week of pregnancy) and one-off allowances (e.g. initial equipment for the child, maternity clothing). If your primary residence is in Karlsruhe, you can submit an application to the Jobcenter in Karlsruhe

Students are entitled to special financial assistance during pregnancy and parenting periods. Any pregnant woman with a low income can apply for funds from the Federal Foundation „Mother and Child”. Before the birth, the foundation pays out a one-off amount of money for the child's initial equipment, the further upkeep of the household, the apartment and furnishings as well as the care of the small child.

The application for financial support during pregnancy must be submitted to a recognized pregnancy advice center, e.g.

• pro familia,
• Public Health Department,
• Diakonisches Werk Karlsruhe,
• Catholic Women Social Service in Karlsruhe

The subsidies are not counted as income towards the citizen’s benefit, social welfare or other kinds of social benefits.

More information here:

• Federal Foundation “Mother and Child”
• Pregnancy and family counseling/pregnancy conflict counseling Karlsruhe

The State Foundation of Baden-Württemberg “family in need” helps future mothers, families and single parents, who have found themselves in an emergency or conflict situation and cannot cope with it on their own. You can apply through the following organizations: pro familia, Public Health Department Karlsruhe, Public Health Department Pforzheim, Diakonisches Werk, Catholic Women Social Service.

If you are a single parent, your child is entitled to support from the other parent. The respective amount depends on the Düsseldorf matrix. In special cases, the responsible youth welfare office can provide advance payments of alimony. In the event of conflicts regarding alimony, the youth welfare office can support you through assistance.

EU citizens can also claim alimony advance payments, if the child has permanent residence in Germany, as well as by people with a settlement permit. This regulation does not apply to students with a residence permit in accordance with Section 16 of the Residence Act (student visa).

The amount of the alimony advance payments depends on the age of the children and corresponds to the statutory minimum alimony minus the full child benefit. Since January 1st, 2021, it has been monthly:

• for children aged 0 to 5 years up to 174 Euro
• for children aged 6 to 11 years up to 232 Euro
• for children aged 12 to 17 years up to 309 Euro

A housing entitlement certificate entitles you to move into a publicly subsidized apartment (social housing). Like many other low-income groups, student parents have the right to have a housing entitlement certificate (WBS) issued with urgency. The prerequisite for this complies with the legal income limit. It is important that people have a regular income, e.g. BAföG. If a person is entitled to housing benefit, they remain entitled to use it for the duration of the tenancy, regardless of the development of their personal and economic circumstances.

Students are entitled to housing benefit if at least one person in the household is not fundamentally entitled to receive benefits under BAföG, e.g. the child of a student. In order to receive housing benefit, you have to prove your income. BAföG, alimony, a student loan or child benefit also count as income. The income of all household members is relevant for the calculation. You can obtain information about entitlement to housing benefit and housing entitlement certificates from the responsible mayor's office or the housing office.

From 2021, emissions of climate-damaging carbon dioxide will be priced. You can find the specialist information from the Paritätische Gesamtverband here.

More information also here.

A subsidy towards the parental contribution is possible for families with children in day care facilities, such as kindergartens, crèches, after-school care centers or daycare. Whether you receive, a subsidy depends on your average monthly family income. It depends on:

• Net wages plus 1/6 of the Christmas and vacation pay
• parental allowance
• Social benefits such as unemployment benefit, sick pay, pension, housing benefit, child allowance, child supplement
• alimony and advances on alimony

More information here.