The Pflegeversicherung (long-term care insurance) pays only part of the cost of care – people who need care have to cover the rest themselves. If pension, income and savings are not enough, the Sozialamt (social welfare office) steps in with „Hilfe zur Pflege“ (means-tested help with care costs). Adult children are usually only asked to contribute once their gross annual income is more than 100.000 Euro.

Details

The social Pflegeversicherung is a partial-cover insurance: it pays fixed amounts, not the full cost. At home there is often an amount left over for the care service, aids and supervision; in a care home the gap is bigger. The care-related personal contribution (Eigenanteil) in full inpatient facilities most recently averaged around 1.685 Euro a month across Germany (as at January 2026); on top of that come accommodation, meals, investment costs and, where applicable, the training levy. For many people this is far more than their pension.

It is precisely for this gap that Hilfe zur Pflege exists, under the Seventh Chapter of the SGB XII (§§ 61 bis 66a). It is not charity but a legal entitlement – and it is claimed far less often than there are people entitled to it.

Who is entitled

• People with Pflegegrad (care grade) 1 to 5 whose income and assets do not cover the cost of care.
• Also people without a Pflegegrad whose need for care is expected to last less than six months (for example after a stay in hospital) – in these cases the Pflegeversicherung does not pay.
• Likewise people who are not insured under the Pflegeversicherung at all.

What is covered

• At home: the difference between the Pflegesachleistung (care benefits in kind; 796 bis 2.299 Euro a month depending on the Pflegegrad, as at July 2026) and the actual cost of the care service; nursing help at home, supervision, aids and, in certain cases, a Pflegegeld (cash care allowance) under the SGB XII.
• In a care home: the care-related Eigenanteil as well as accommodation and meals, as far as income and assets are not sufficient. Beforehand, all priority benefits are used up: benefits from the Pflegekasse (long-term care insurance fund), the benefit supplement under § 43c SGB XI (15 Prozent of the care-related Eigenanteil in the first year, 30 Prozent after more than 12 months, 50 Prozent after more than 24 months, 75 Prozent after more than 36 months), Wohngeld (housing benefit), Grundsicherung im Alter (basic income support in old age), pensions, accident insurance entitlements and civil-service allowances.
• Personal allowance (Barbetrag): anyone who lives in a care home and receives social assistance gets a monthly amount for personal use (at least 27 Prozent of the applicable standard rate) as well as allowances for clothing.

Income and assets: what stays protected

• Protected assets (Schonvermögen): 10.000 Euro per person, and correspondingly 20.000 Euro for married couples or registered partners (as at July 2026, § 90 Abs. 2 Nr. 9 SGB XII in conjunction with the relevant regulation).
• Also protected are a reasonable owner-occupied home, reasonable household effects, a reasonable motor vehicle, state-subsidised pension provision (for example Riester), items needed for your occupation and reasonable funeral provision.
• Income: for Hilfe zur Pflege outside institutions, special income limits apply (§ 85 SGB XII); part of the income above that limit is not counted. Where care is provided in an institution, income is largely used up.
• Spouses and registered partners have a duty to support each other, so their income and assets are taken into account. The partner who stays at home must not, however, become dependent on social assistance themselves.

Do the children have to pay?

In the vast majority of cases, no. Since the Angehörigen-Entlastungsgesetz (the law relieving relatives of maintenance obligations, in force since 1 January 2020), children are only asked to contribute to social assistance benefits – and therefore also to their parents’ Hilfe zur Pflege – if their gross annual income is more than 100.000 Euro. Important to know:

• The threshold applies per child, not to the combined income of all the siblings, and it also applies when both parents receive benefits.
• The Sozialamt may only ask for information about income where there are substantiated grounds; a blanket investigation is not permitted.
• A change to this rule is being discussed politically; until the law is actually changed it applies unchanged (as at July 2026).
• Take care with gifts: anyone who has given away larger sums or property within the past ten years must expect a claim for repayment because of the „impoverishment of the donor“ (§ 528 BGB).

Who is responsible

• Berlin: the Sozialamt of the district you live in (Amt für Soziales / Soziale Dienste of the Bezirksamt, the district office); for residential care the supra-local authority is involved as well.
• Brandenburg: the Landkreis (district) or the independent city (Sozialamt); for certain residential benefits the Landesamt für Soziales und Versorgung.

The most important practical tip: social assistance is not paid retrospectively. It starts on the day the authority learns of the hardship (§ 18 SGB XII). An informal application – if need be a phone call followed by a short e-mail – therefore secures that date immediately. The detailed application can be handed in later.

What to do?

1. Work out the gap. Set all the monthly care costs (care home fee or care service invoice, aids, travel costs) against your total income: pensions, occupational pension, Wohngeld, Grundsicherung, benefits from the Pflegekasse, the benefit supplement under § 43c SGB XI.
2. Apply for priority benefits first. Pflegegrad, Wohngeld, Grundsicherung im Alter und bei Erwerbsminderung (basic income support in old age and for reduced earning capacity), severely disabled person’s pass, exemption from co-payments. If there is no Pflegegrad yet, apply for that first: Applying for a Pflegegrad.
3. Apply immediately and informally. One sentence is enough: „Hiermit beantrage ich Hilfe zur Pflege nach dem Siebten Kapitel SGB XII.“ („I hereby apply for Hilfe zur Pflege under the Seventh Chapter of the SGB XII.“) With the date, your name, address and date of birth. Ask for confirmation of receipt.
4. Put your documents together: pension notices, bank statements for the last three months, tenancy agreement or care home contract, the notice awarding the Pflegegrad, benefit notices from the Pflegekasse, evidence of assets and insurance policies.
5. Use the advice services. Pflegestützpunkte (care support points) and the social services of the hospitals know the forms and local practice – free of charge and independent of any provider.
6. Check the decision. Calculation errors and overlooked allowances are common. You can appeal against the decision within one month; an informal letter meets the deadline, and the reasons may be submitted afterwards.
7. Report any changes. A move, an inheritance, a change of Pflegegrad or a change of care home have to be reported, otherwise you risk having to pay money back.

Where can you get help?

• Pflegestützpunkte – 36 in Berlin, 19 locations with branch offices in Brandenburg: free, provider-neutral advice on applications, costs and personal contributions, also as a home visit. Find a Pflegestützpunkt.
• The Sozialamt of your district or Landkreis – this is where the application is made and decided; you will find the addresses under Directory as well, in the category „Beratungsstelle / Pflegestützpunkt“.
• The social service of the hospital, if care begins after a stay in a clinic – it sets the application and the care arrangements in motion before you are discharged.
• Independent social and debt counselling services and social associations (for example VdK, SoVD) – support with appeals and court proceedings, sometimes as part of a membership.
• Information events on care costs and benefits: See dates.
• Further reading: Pflegegeld, Pflegesachleistung and Kombinationsleistung, Care home, shared care flat or assisted living?.

All amounts: as at July 2026. Legal basis: §§ 61–66a, 85, 90 SGB XII, § 18 SGB XII (principle of official knowledge), § 94 Abs. 1a SGB XII (the 100.000-Euro-Grenze, i.e. the 100.000 Euro threshold, Angehörigen-Entlastungsgesetz), § 43c SGB XI (Leistungszuschlag, benefit supplement), § 528 BGB (reclaiming a gift). Average care-related Eigenanteil: nationwide figure, as at January 2026 – the actual amount differs from facility to facility and from federal state to federal state. This article is not a substitute for legal advice.