Family Ministry Keeps Parental Allowance at 14 Months, Minimum €330
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Germany's Federal Family Ministry announced on Wednesday 28 October that parents will keep up to 14 months of basic parental allowance (Elterngeld). An earlier draft by Family Minister Karin Prien had planned to cut the maximum to 12 months to save money. That cut has now been dropped. The new plan also raises the minimum payment from 300 to 330 euros a month and the maximum from 1,800 to 1,900 euros, the first increase since Elterngeld began in 2007.
The change matters for every family expecting a child in Germany, including single parents, who can also still receive up to 14 months. In 2025 about 1.6 million people received Elterngeld. Under the new "4-6-4" model, four months are reserved for each parent and six more months can be shared freely between them. Both parents may again claim at the same time without limit, for example during the first four months together.
The way the payment is calculated would also change. In the four reserved months each parent would receive 80 percent of their previous net income instead of the usual 65 percent today. In the remaining months the rate would fall to 50 percent. Christmas bonuses and similar one off payments would count when net income is calculated, and the sibling bonus would be paid for longer.
This is still a draft. The ministry has sent it to the other federal ministries for consultation, the cabinet and the Bundestag still have to approve it, and no start date has been set. For now, nothing changes for families who already receive Elterngeld or who apply under the current rules. Parents planning a birth should keep applying through their local Elterngeld office as usual and watch for the final law before planning how to split their months.
Sources: tagesschau.de, FAZ
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