Apply for child supplement
The child supplement is a benefit for families with a low income. The child supplement supports your family if you have a low income and cannot cover the needs of the whole family or can only just cover them.
The maximum amount of the child supplement is EUR 297.00 per month per child. If your income is higher than your needs as parents, the child supplement is reduced. Your children's income is also taken into account, for example if your children receive maintenance, advance maintenance or a half-orphan's pension.
The child supplement is granted for 6 months at a time. After 6 months, you must submit a new application.
Forms/Online Services
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Kurzantrag Kinderzuschlag (PDF)
Falls sich in den letzten 6 Monaten keine wesentlichen Änderungen zu Ihrem letzten Antrag ergeben haben, also z. B. Einkommen, Ausgaben, Vermögen oder Wohnkosten sich nicht wesentlich geändert haben, können Sie den Kurzantrag auf Kinderzuschlag nutzen. Außerdem darf Ihr letzter Antrag kein Kurzantrag gewesen sein.
Responsible authority
The family benefits office of the employment agency in whose district you live.
Details
Prerequisite
To receive a child supplement, the following conditions must be met:
- Your child or children are under the age of 25, are not married or partnered and live in your household.
- You receive child benefit or a comparable benefit for your child or children, for example from abroad.
- You have
- as a couple, you have a joint gross income of at least EUR 900.00 per month (excluding housing benefit, child benefit and child supplement) or
- as a single parent at least 600.00 EUR per month.
- Your income, which is offset against the child supplement, is not so high that the child supplement is reduced to zero.
- You do not have any significant assets.
- As a rule, you can receive the child supplement if your income, child benefit, any housing benefit you may be entitled to and the child supplement can cover the needs of the whole family within the meaning of the Second Social Code (SGB II).
- Child supplement is subordinate to other possible income of the child; there may be an obligation to endeavour to obtain priority claims such as maintenance or advance maintenance payments.
Procedure
You can apply for the child supplement in writing using the form provided. In this case, you must send the signed application by post to your responsible family benefits office.
You also have the option of completing the application online. In this case, you can upload the supporting documents directly; the data will then be sent directly to the family benefits office.
For an electronic application with electronic proof of identity:
- Go to the website of the Family Benefits Office of the Federal Employment Agency and call up the online application. For authentication, you will need either
- the new ID card with online ID function or
- the eID card for EU citizens and nationals of the European Economic Area or
- an electronic residence permit or
- Fill out the online application and upload the necessary supporting documents.
- The online application and the uploaded documents will be sent to the family benefits office.
- It is no longer necessary to submit a written application by post to the family benefits office.
For an analogue application:
If you do not wish to make use of an electronic application, you can alternatively have the online application sent to you for signature or print out the application yourself. In this case, please send the signed application by post to your local family benefits office.
- Go to the website of the Family Benefits Office of the Federal Employment Agency and call up the online application form
- Print out the completed application form or have it printed out and sent to you by the family benefits office.
- You can also print out the application form directly and complete it by hand.
- Submit the signed application documents
and the required supporting documents to the Family Benefits Office. You can also obtain the form from your local
family benefits office. - You can also have the application documents sent to you in paper form.
You can report important changes in your personal circumstances via the Family Benefits Office website.
Communicate changes electronically:
- Go to the website of the Family Benefits Office of the Federal Employment Agency and call up the notification of change form. For authentication you will need either
- the new ID card with online ID function or
- the eID card for EU citizens and nationals of the European Economic Area or
- an electronic residence permit or
- Fill in the online notification of change directly on your computer and upload the necessary documents.
- The notification of change and the uploaded documents will be sent directly to the family benefits office.
Communicate changes in analogue form:
If you do not wish to notify changes electronically, you can have the online notification of change sent to you or print out the form yourself. Please sign it and send it by post to the relevant family benefits office.
- Go to the website of the Family Benefits Office of the Federal Employment Agency and call up the notification of change.
- Print out the notification of change or have it printed out and sent to you by the family benefits office.
- You can also print out the notification of change directly and fill it in by hand.
- You can also obtain the form from your local family benefits office.
Deadlines
none
Required documents
- Application for child supplement, including the applicant or partner annex and the child annex
- Proof of income
- Declaration of assets
- Proof of housing costs
- further documents and evidence if necessary
Costs
none
Miscellaneous
The child supplement is not paid retroactively, but at the earliest from the month of application.
If you receive the child supplement or housing benefit, you can receive benefits for education and participation for your children. You can also be exempted from paying childcare centre fees.
Legal basis
Bundeskindergeldgesetz (BKGG):
- § 6a Kinderzuschlag
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Sozialministerium Baden-Württemberg, 23.07.2025