Parental allowance in Germany: the real rate and the months people miss

Written under our editorial standards.

Targeted source review: 12 October 2026. The specified provisions and linked-tool limits were checked; this is not a complete legal audit or an individual entitlement decision.

Most of what is said about parental allowance starts from the wrong number. The rate is not 67% for everyone: below €1,000 of pre-birth income it rises towards 100%, and above €1,200 it falls towards 65%. And there is a floor of €300 paid even to someone who had no employment income at all before the birth.

The figures as the statute states them

The base rate: 67% of employment income before the birth.
The ceiling: €1,800 a month for full months with no employment income.
Rising: Income below €1,000 ⇒ the rate rises 0.1 points for every €2 below, up to 100%.
Falling: Income above €1,200 ⇒ it falls 0.1 points for every €2 above, down to 65%.
The floor: €300 — paid even where there was no employment income before the birth.
Cap on the difference: Where you work after the birth the difference counts, and pre-birth income is taken at no more than €2,770.

Work out your own rate, not the one everyone quotes

Use the BEEG Elterngeld-Netto, not payslip net as an exact substitute. The assessment period, excluded months, self-employment and standardised tax deductions can alter it. Apply the percentage to the benefit income base.

Between €1,000 and €1,200 ⇒ the rate is 67%, unadjusted.
Below €1,000 ⇒ work out how many euros you fall short of €1,000, divide by 2, multiply by 0.1, and add to 67. Example: income €600 ⇒ short by €400 ⇒ 400÷2 = 200 ⇒ 200×0.1 = 20 points ⇒ a rate of 87%.
Above €1,200 ⇒ take the excess, divide by 2, multiply by 0.1, and subtract from 67 — and the rate never falls below 65% however high the income.

Note the asymmetry: the rise runs a full 33 points (67 to 100), while the fall is confined to two (67 to 65). The statute protects low earners strongly and barely penalises high earners on the rate — because the €1,800 ceiling does that job instead.

The €300 floor may apply without previous work when the other section 1 conditions are satisfied. Residence status, care, hours and the taxable-income ceiling still matter.

The months: twelve plus two — and why one parent should not take everything

The parents normally share 12 basic months, plus two partner months when one parent’s employment income falls in two life months. The usual allocation involves both parents; section 4 c permits partner months alone where its conditions are met, and premature births add months.

Two practical rules follow:

The usual individual limit is 12 basic months. Section 4 c allows the partner months to be taken alone in specified circumstances, and premature births add months; do not automatically exclude a sole parent from 14.
And a parent gets nothing by taking only one month — the statute provides expressly that a parent has a claim only if they draw it for at least two months.

One basic month can become two Plus months. With part-time earnings, Plus is not always half the actual reduced basic amount: its cap is half the hypothetical basic amount without post-birth income. Continuity and premature-birth timing rules apply. Simultaneous basic receipt is usually limited to one of the first 12 life months, subject to section 4(6) exceptions.

For adoption, the period starts at placement and remains subject to the applicable monthly entitlement and rules, ending no later than age eight. This is not eight years of payments.

A premature birth adds months — the clause most parents never hear about

Premature births give the following base-month counts before any partner months due under section 4 c; these are not the final total for every case.

Born at least six weeks before the expected date ⇒ 13 months.
At least eight weeks before ⇒ 14 months.
At least twelve weeks before ⇒ 15 months.
At least sixteen weeks before ⇒ 16 months.

The benchmark for measuring the gap between the expected date and the actual birth is the expected date as it appears in the medical certificate or the midwife's certificate — so keep that certificate, because it is the document that decides extra months.

At six weeks early, one parent’s base limit becomes 13 months before any partner months due under section 4 c, and can reach 15 when those conditions are met. The permissible basic-benefit period follows the premature-birth rules.

Before you apply

Check eligibility before the figure Check care, household and residence; ordinarily no more than 32 weekly working hours averaged over the child’s life month, with statutory exceptions. Non-free-movement residence permits have section 1(7) rules. For births from 1 April 2025 the taxable-income ceiling is 175000 euros; this is not gross salary.
Calculate your own rate before trusting any ready estimate67% is the starting point, not the answer: below €1,000 it climbs towards 100%, above €1,200 it falls only as far as 65%.
Divide the months between you before applyingThe two extra months depend on one parent's income being reduced in two months, and a parent who draws only one month has no claim at all.
If your child came early, attach the expected-date certificate It establishes 13,14,15 or 16 base months instead of 12 depending on prematurity, before any partner months due under section 4 c.
Compare basic against Plus before choosingOne basic month can become two months of Plus, and the window then runs to the thirty-second month of life.
If you will work part time, understand the difference calculationThe allowance is then a percentage of the difference between the two incomes, with pre-birth income taken at no more than €2,770.

A multiple birth creates one entitlement, with a section 2 a supplement of €300 per additional baby in basic allowance or €150 in Plus. A conditional sibling bonus can also apply:10%, at least €75/€37.50. Timing, concurrent receipt and offsets still need checking.

Official sources

Section 1 BEEG — who is entitled · Section 2 — the amount · Section 4 — the period and the months

Please note: this page is general guidance, not legal advice. Every decision follows an individual assessment of your case, and the amounts are set by regulations that change annually — read your own decision letter and consult a social advice centre or a lawyer specialising in social law before acting.

Frequently asked questions

How much is parental allowance?

67% of employment income before the birth, capped at €1,800 a month. The rate rises towards 100% for income below €1,000 and falls to 65% for income above €1,200.

Do I get anything if I was not working before the birth?

The €300 basic floor may apply without pre-birth work, subject to the remaining eligibility requirements. Neither parenthood nor unemployment alone establishes entitlement.

For how many months is it paid?

The parents jointly have twelve monthly amounts of basic allowance, plus two more where one parent's employment income is reduced in two months — fourteen in total.

Can one parent take all of it?

Not an absolute prohibition. Normally one parent has 12 basic months; section 4 c permits partner months alone subject to conditions, and premature births add months. Each claimant ordinarily needs at least two months.

My child was born early — does anything change?

Yes:13 base months at six weeks,14 at eight,15 at twelve and 16 at sixteen weeks before the certified expected date. These counts precede any partner months due under section 4 c and are not the final total for every case.

What is the difference between basic allowance and Plus?

Plus is capped at half the hypothetical basic benefit without post-birth income and may equal the reduced basic amount with part-time earnings. Converting one month to two does not remove duration, continuity or simultaneous-receipt restrictions.

I am having twins — does the allowance double?

The full basic payment does not double. There is one entitlement plus €300 for each additional baby, or €150 in Plus, and a sibling bonus if its conditions are met.

Sources for this review and how to use them

Compare the facts and inputs with the official decision. Retain evidence and separate an estimate from entitlement; source pages may change.