Elterngeld - Berechnung

The amount of your parental allowance is calculated by the responsible parental allowance office and is based on various factors.

The amount of the parental allowance is calculated individually. The calculation is based on the income you had before the birth and which ceases after the birth. If you had no income before the birth or if no income ceases after the birth, you will receive a minimum amount. This is at least 300.00 EUR per month for the basic parental allowance.

Depending on whether you were employed or self-employed before the birth, the calculation of your average net income is based on different periods (assessment period).

The assessment period is

• for non-self-employed persons, the last 12 months before the birth,
• for self-employed persons and mixed income, the last completed tax assessment period before the birth.

The following months are not taken into account

• with receipt of maternity benefit,
• with receipt of parental allowance or ElterngeldPlus for an older child up to and including the child's 14th month of life,
• months in which income is reduced due to pregnancy-related illness or military or civilian service obligations.

Instead of these months, months further back are taken as a basis in the case of non-self-employed persons. In the case of self-employed persons and in the case of mixed income, the previous tax assessment period is decisive upon application.

A maximum of EUR 2,770 is taken into account as the average monthly net income before the birth of your child.

Other payments (especially one-time payments) and tax-free income are not considered as income.

Deductions for taxes and social security contributions are calculated as a lump sum. In addition, a lump sum is deducted each month for income-related expenses.

Amount of basic parental benefit:

Claimants receive a minimum of EUR 300.00 and a maximum of EUR 1,800.

The income foregone is replaced as follows for an average monthly net income before the birth:

• Of EUR 1,240 and above at 65 percent,
• from 1,220 EUR at 66 percent and
• between EUR 1,000 and EUR 1,200 at 67 percent.

There is a higher percentage for low earners.

Amount of ElterngeldPlus:

The amount of ElterngeldPlus is calculated in the same way as the basic parental allowance, but amounts to a maximum of half of the basic parental allowance to which parents without part-time income would be entitled after the birth.
In return, parental allowance is paid for twice as long: one parental allowance month = two parental allowancePlus months. You therefore receive parental allowance for twice as long, but at most half of the full basic parental allowance.

Sibling bonus and multiple child supplement:

You receive a sibling bonus in addition to the calculated parental allowance as long as an older sibling under the age of three or two older siblings under the age of six live in the household with you. The sibling bonus amounts to 10% of the parental allowance to which you are entitled, at least EUR 75.00 per month if you receive basic parental allowance, and at least EUR 37.50 per month if you receive ElterngeldPlus.

In the case of multiple births, the parental allowance increases by EUR 300.00 for each additional multiple child in the case of basic parental allowance (by EUR 150.00 in the case of ElterngeldPlus).

Tip: To help you plan and calculate, you can use the online parental allowance calculator on the federal government's family portal.

There are no costs involved.

You can obtain information from the responsible parental allowance office.

The parental allowance can be paid retroactively for a maximum of three months before the beginning of the month in which the application was received.

• Parental allowance calculation
• Parental allowance is calculated on the basis of the average net income available to the parent providing care before the birth
• the assessment period is
  • in the case of non-self-employed persons, the last 12 months before the birth
  • for self-employed persons and mixed income, the last completed tax assessment period before the birth.
• to determine the net income is required as proof of income:
  • for non-self-employed persons: Wage or salary statement
  • for self-employed persons: tax assessment notice
• a maximum of 2,770 EUR is taken into account as the average monthly net income before the birth of your child.
• the lost income is replaced as follows:
  • In the case of an average monthly net income before the birth.
    • of 1,240 EUR and more at 65 percent,
    • from 1,220 EUR at 66 percent, and
    • between EUR 1,000 and EUR 1,200 at 67 percent.
  • for incomes below EUR 1,000, the percentage increases in small steps up to 100 percent. for every EUR 2 that the income was below EUR 1,000, the percentage increases by 0.1 percent.
• if there was no income before the birth or no income after the birth, the parental allowance is usually the minimum amount of 300.00 EUR per month.
• responsible: the regional parental allowance office