👨👩👧 Child supplement and family benefits
In brief
The child supplement (Kinderzuschlag) is a separate family benefit from the Familienkasse (family benefits office) – for parents who can support themselves but whose income is not enough for the whole family. It can avoid or top up Grundsicherungsgeld for the children and can independently be combined with the Education and Participation Package (Bildungs- und Teilhabepaket), which covers additional costs around school, lunch and leisure.
Step by step
- Check the minimum incomeCouples need a gross income of at least €900, single parents of at least €600 per month, to be able to apply for the child supplement at all.
- Apply to the FamilienkasseThe child supplement is applied for at the Familienkasse of the Bundesagentur für Arbeit, usually together with or in addition to the child benefit application.
- Apply for the Education Package tooBenefits from the Education and Participation Package (school supplies, lunch, tutoring, trips, club fees) are usually checked automatically when child supplement, housing benefit or Grundsicherungsgeld is received.
- Note the approval periodThe child supplement is usually approved for 6 months and must be applied for again afterwards.
Deadlines
- The child supplement is only worthwhile if it covers the family’s entire need or at least means that no Grundsicherungsgeld is needed for the children any more – if in doubt, have the Familienkasse or an advice centre do a comparison calculation.
- The exact euro amounts for the child supplement and Education Package for 2026 come mainly from secondary sources or BMAS information pages and should be cross-checked directly with the Familienkasse before a binding commitment in an individual case.
- The child supplement does not lapse automatically with slightly higher income – a protection-of-entitlements rule ensures it does not fall below the amount last approved in the previous year.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals
Entitlement and amount (§ 6a BKGG)
The child supplement tops up child benefit for parents whose own income covers their own need but not that of the children. In 2026, according to the sources evaluated, the maximum is up to €297 per child per month (including an “immediate supplement” (Sofortzuschlag) of €25 introduced in 2022). From a child’s material subsistence minimum (in 2026 around €6,696 per year), child benefit (€259/month) and a flat-rate share for education and participation (€29/month) are deducted; the remaining amount is the maximum child supplement. A protection-of-entitlements guarantee prevents the supplement from falling below the amount last approved in the previous year.
Minimum income threshold (§ 6a Abs. 1 Nr. 2 BKGG)
An entry requirement is a minimum gross income of €900 per month for couples and €600 for single parents; without this minimum income the system refers you to Grundsicherungsgeld instead of the child supplement.
Education and Participation Package
Irrespective of whether you receive child supplement, housing benefit or Grundsicherungsgeld, there are supplementary benefits for school supplies (twice a year, paid out without a separate application), school and daycare lunches, tutoring where a pupil is at risk of not being moved up, school transport as well as trips, school journeys and a monthly contribution to club, music or leisure activities. The specific euro amounts come from BMAS publications on the Education Package and should be cross-checked once more against the original BMAS source before publication, since they can change every year.
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