Pflegesachleistung means that a home care service comes to your home and the Pflegekasse (long-term care insurance fund) pays it directly. From Pflegegrad (care grade) 2 upwards, between 796 and 2.299 Euro a month is available for this (as at July 2026). If you do not use up the whole budget, you receive the rest as a proportional Pflegegeld (cash care allowance) – and that is called Kombinationsleistung (combination benefit).

Details

The Pflegesachleistung under § 36 SGB XI is not money in your account but a monthly budget held by the Pflegekasse. The care service bills the fund directly. Every month you receive a record of services to sign – take your time checking it; you should only sign for what was actually provided.

How big is the benefits-in-kind budget?

• Pflegegrad 1: no Pflegesachleistung – but the Entlastungsbetrag (monthly relief amount) of 131 Euro may be used for a care service, expressly including personal care
• Pflegegrad 2: 796 Euro per month
• Pflegegrad 3: 1.497 Euro per month
• Pflegegrad 4: 1.859 Euro per month
• Pflegegrad 5: 2.299 Euro per month

As at July 2026 (source: Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, overview of benefit rates 2026).

What the care service is allowed to do

• Personal care: washing, showering, dressing, help with eating, support with getting up and moving about.
• Care-related support: accompanying people, activities, help with structuring the day, support with dementia.
• Help with running the household: shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry.

Important: only approved care services with a supply contract may bill through the Pflegesachleistung. Medical services such as changing dressings or giving medication, by contrast, count as häusliche Krankenpflege (home nursing care, § 37 SGB V), are paid for by the Krankenkasse (health insurance fund) and are prescribed by a doctor – they do not use up your care budget.

Kombinationsleistung: the best of both

You do not have to choose between a care service and Pflegegeld. With the Kombinationsleistung (§ 38 SGB XI) the Pflegekasse calculates as follows: the percentage of the benefits-in-kind budget that you have not used is paid out to you as a proportional Pflegegeld.

Example (Pflegegrad 3): the budget is 1.497 Euro. In one month the care service bills 60 per cent of it. That leaves 40 per cent of the Pflegegeld of 599 Euro – around 240 Euro, which is transferred to your account.

In principle you are tied to the combination you choose for six months (§ 38 SGB XI); billing, however, is monthly and based on the services actually used. If the care situation changes fundamentally, speak to your Pflegekasse.

Day care and night care come on top

Part-time inpatient day or night care is paid in addition and is not offset against Pflegegeld or Pflegesachleistung:

• Pflegegrad 2: 721 Euro per month
• Pflegegrad 3: 1.357 Euro per month
• Pflegegrad 4: 1.685 Euro per month
• Pflegegrad 5: 2.085 Euro per month

For many families, Tagespflege (day care) is the most effective relief of all: the person in need of care is looked after during the day and transported there and back, and relatives have reliable free hours. Night care, by contrast, is barely available in Berlin – the Landespflegeplan 2025 lists a single facility with eight places in the whole city. Ask early here, and in the Brandenburg area around Berlin as well.

Umwandlungsanspruch: making 40 per cent flexible

Do you need less nursing care but more help with everyday life? Then you can convert up to 40 per cent of the benefits-in-kind budget into services from recognised Angebote zur Unterstützung im Alltag (recognised everyday support services, § 45a Abs. 4 SGB XI) – such as support, accompaniment or home help. This is possible in addition to the Entlastungsbetrag and is overlooked by many families.

What to do

1. Write down what you need. For one week, note down exactly where help is missing and at what time of day. That makes every advice session easier.
2. Ask two or three care services. Look at free capacity, travelling times within your neighbourhood, languages spoken and experience with your condition. A first conversation is free of charge.
3. Ask for a quotation. Have them show you which service packages will be billed and whether the budget will be enough. Anything beyond it you pay yourself.
4. Check the contract before you sign. Notice periods, times of visits, cover arrangements during holidays.
5. Declare the combination to the Pflegekasse. Informally in writing or on a form – easiest of all straight away with your first application.
6. Check the records of services. Only sign for visits that actually took place, and keep copies.

Where can you get help?

• Care services, day care centres and advice centres near you can be found in the directory under Directory – filterable by district or rural district, language and specialism.
• Pflegestützpunkte (care support points) (36 in Berlin, 19 in Brandenburg) will work out with you which type of benefit brings the most – free of charge and without any tie to a provider.
• Care courses and carers’ groups help you get started in working with a care service: See dates.

All amounts: as at July 2026. Legal basis: §§ 36, 38, 41, 45a SGB XI.