Wegweiser Loneliness · Contact & help Deutsch

🏘️ Relatives and neighbourhood help

What relatives can do when they notice loneliness in someone – and how voluntary neighbourhood help is funded.

Neighbourhood help Relief amount § 45b SGB XI Recognition of neighbourhood helpers Relatives Raising the subject

In brief

If you notice loneliness in someone close to you, you can achieve a lot by raising it directly and with appreciation and by keeping regular, reliable contact – often more than by well-meant advice. In addition there is organised neighbourhood help, in which volunteers support people in everyday life; if a care level (Pflegegrad) is recognised, this help can be co-funded through the care insurance fund's relief amount (Entlastungsbetrag).

Step by step

  1. Raise your observations openlyRather than waiting until the person talks about loneliness themselves, it helps to raise your own observations directly and without judgement.
  2. Listen instead of immediately offering solutionsOften the feeling of being heard is the most important first step – before concrete suggestions.
  3. Regularity instead of one-off actionA fixed weekly call or visit has a more lasting effect than a one-off, if well-meant, contact.
  4. Involve organised neighbourhood helpMunicipal neighbourhood help associations or networks arrange voluntary support in everyday life, such as shopping help, accompaniment to appointments or time spent together.
  5. If care is needed, apply for the relief amountIf a care level is recognised, the relief amount under § 45b SGB XI can be applied for at the Pflegekasse in order to fund recognised neighbourhood help services.

Deadlines

No statutory deadline
There is no statutory deadline for raising loneliness with relatives.
up to €131 per month
Relief amount for support services for everyday life, including recognised neighbourhood help, with a recognised care level, as of 1 January 2025§ 45b SGB XI
Watch out – common mistakes
  • According to the available evidence, raising loneliness directly does not increase the risk but usually opens up the chance of a clarifying conversation – staying silent out of worry about doing something wrong rarely helps.
  • Not all voluntary neighbourhood help can automatically be billed through the relief amount; the details on recognition have been simplified since a change on 15 October 2025 but are still regulated differently depending on the federal state – when in doubt, ask the Pflegekasse.
  • The exact carry-over of unused relief amounts into the following year (§ 45b Abs. 3 SGB XI) is subject to detailed rules; these should be verified directly with the Pflegekasse in each individual case, as an independent, current confirmation was not conclusively possible during this research.
  • Relatives who themselves provide a lot of support over the long term should also keep an eye on their own strain and, if needed, seek counselling themselves.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

Relief amount under § 45b SGB XI

People with a recognised care level (1 to 5) are entitled to a relief amount of €131 per month (as of 1 January 2025), which can be used for a designated purpose on support services for everyday life – these include care and supervision services, everyday companionship and recognised neighbourhood help. Under the basic statutory concept, unused amounts can in principle be carried over into the following year; the exact cut-off rule for this was not conclusively verified against a primary source during this research and should be asked about in each individual case at the responsible Pflegekasse.

Recognition of voluntary neighbourhood helpers

For the costs of neighbourhood help to be billed through the relief amount, helpers until now had to go through a formal recognition procedure in most federal states. Since 15 October 2025, according to the available information, this procedure has been simplified or deregulated in several federal states in order to reduce the bureaucratic burden on voluntary neighbourhood helpers; the specific implementation still differs depending on the federal state, which is why no nationally uniform detailed rule is given.

Effectiveness of raising the subject

Professional practice recommendations, including from the Kompetenznetz Einsamkeit, stress that sensitively and concretely raising observed loneliness with relatives increases the likelihood that those affected will accept support, whereas silence out of misplaced consideration tends to delay this process.

Who is responsible
  • Pflegekasse (relief amount)
  • Local neighbourhood help association
  • Kompetenznetz Einsamkeit (practical knowledge)
Further reading
Loneliness in old ageSocial groups and meeting opportunitiesAdvice and contact points for loneliness

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Relatives and neighbourhood help“?
What relatives can do when they notice loneliness in someone – and how voluntary neighbourhood help is funded.
Which deadlines and figures matter?
  • No statutory deadline: There is no statutory deadline for raising loneliness with relatives.
  • up to €131 per month: Relief amount for support services for everyday life, including recognised neighbourhood help, with a recognised care level, as of 1 January 2025 (§ 45b SGB XI)
What should I do first?
  • Raise your observations openly: Rather than waiting until the person talks about loneliness themselves, it helps to raise your own observations directly and without judgement.
  • Listen instead of immediately offering solutions: Often the feeling of being heard is the most important first step – before concrete suggestions.
  • Regularity instead of one-off action: A fixed weekly call or visit has a more lasting effect than a one-off, if well-meant, contact.
What do I need to watch out for?
  • According to the available evidence, raising loneliness directly does not increase the risk but usually opens up the chance of a clarifying conversation – staying silent out of worry about doing something wrong rarely helps.
  • Not all voluntary neighbourhood help can automatically be billed through the relief amount; the details on recognition have been simplified since a change on 15 October 2025 but are still regulated differently depending on the federal state – when in doubt, ask the Pflegekasse.
  • The exact carry-over of unused relief amounts into the following year (§ 45b Abs. 3 SGB XI) is subject to detailed rules; these should be verified directly with the Pflegekasse in each individual case, as an independent, current confirmation was not conclusively possible during this research.
Evidence
  • § 45b SGB XI (gesetze-im-internet.de)
  • Kompetenznetz Einsamkeit, practice recommendations on raising loneliness, retrieved September 2026
  • Land regulations on recognition of neighbourhood helpers, as of 15 October 2025 (the respective Land ministries)
As of

As of September 2026. · Sources and method

A question about your situation that this page does not answer? Write to us or use the contact form – we will tell you which office is responsible and what to bring. Free of charge, without individual legal advice.