The child supplement in Germany: for people who work and still fall short

Last checked against the official sources: 29 August 2026

The child supplement is built for exactly one group: people who work and still fall short. Not for the unemployed and not for those on Jobcenter benefits — but for people with income of €900 or more (or €600 for a sole parent) who nonetheless cannot cover their children. And its least-known clause is the best one: a mid-period rise in your income does not reduce it.

Why many are refused: the third condition

The first two conditions are plain — children who qualify for Kindergeld, and income of at least €900 (or €600 for a sole parent). It is the third that defeats most applications: you must not be in need of assistance within the meaning of Section 9 of Book II while drawing the supplement.

The logic is that the supplement is not a substitute for Jobcenter benefits but a bridge that keeps you out of them. If you would remain in need even with the supplement, your place is in the other system, not this one.

Here a neat clause is widely missed: when need is assessed, the housing benefit granted for the application month is taken into account. And if you draw no housing benefit at all, but housing benefit together with the supplement would have been enough to avoid need, housing benefit is assumed at the amount it would probably have been granted at and counted in. Your not having applied for housing benefit is therefore not held against you on this point.

Then comes the €100 exception: the supplement is paid despite need where three things come together — the household falls short by at most €100 counting its income, the supplement and housing benefit; the parents’ deductions for employment income amount to at least €100; and no member of the household receives or has applied for benefits under Book II or Book XII.

How the amount tapers — and why working still pays

You start from the maximum, and the amount then falls under two quite different rules depending on where the income comes from — and the difference between them is the heart of the design:

• The child’s own income ⇒ the supplement falls by 45% of the countable income. Every €100 the child earns costs only €45 of supplement; €55 stays.
• The parents’ employment income above their own requirement ⇒ likewise 45% of the excess.
• Any other parental income, or assets ⇒ the supplement falls in full — at a hundred per cent, not forty-five.

The message in that design is explicit: employment income is treated better than every other kind. Someone who earns an extra €100 from work keeps €55 of it in practice, while someone who receives €100 from a non-employment source loses all of it from the supplement.

Housing benefit, Kindergeld and the supplement itself are left out of income in this calculation — both in the child’s income and in the parents’.

Asset limits are generous compared with the Jobcenter: assets count only above €40,000 for the entitled person and €15,000 for each further member of the household.

The most valuable clause: six fixed months, untouched by a rise in your income

This is the best thing in the whole benefit, and it is barely mentioned anywhere.

The supplement is decided for six months at a time. Then comes the decisive sentence: “Changes in the factual or legal circumstances during the current authorisation period are not to be taken into account” — and expressly by way of derogation from Section 48 of Book X, which normally governs the amendment of administrative decisions when circumstances change.

In practice: if your income rises in the third month, or you are promoted, or your hours increase — your supplement is not cut and nothing is reclaimed until the six months are up. That is the exact opposite of how Jobcenter benefits behave.

There are only two exceptions: a change in the composition of the household, or a change in the maximum amount itself.

The way income is calculated completes the picture: what counts is the average of the six months before the period begins, not the current month’s income. The supplement is built on your recent past rather than your fluctuating present — which is what makes it stable enough to plan around.

How to apply intelligently

1. Check the right income floor for your case€900 for a couple, €600 for a sole parent. Housing benefit, Kindergeld and the supplement do not count towards it.
2. Apply for housing benefit as wellHousing benefit enters the needs test and may be the difference between acceptance and refusal — and even unclaimed it is assumed at the amount it would have been granted.
3. If refused for need, check the €100 exceptionA refusal is not final where the shortfall is €100 or less and the other conditions are met.
4. Choose your application month carefullyThe income counted is the average of the previous six months, so applying after a low-income stretch gives a better result than applying after high months.
5. Do not fear a rise in income after approvalChanges during the six-month period are not taken into account, except a change in the household or in the maximum amount.
6. Do not neglect income the child is owedThe statute removes the entitlement for a child where reasonable efforts to claim income due to them have been omitted.

Frequently asked questions

Who qualifies for the child supplement?

Someone living with unmarried children under 25 for whom they have a Kindergeld claim, with income of at least €900 — or €600 for a sole parent — and who is not in need within the meaning of Book II while drawing it.

Can it be combined with Jobcenter benefits?

No. The absence of need is a core condition, and the €100 exception requires that no member of the household receives or has applied for benefits under Book II or Book XII.

I was refused because I am still in need — is there any hope?

Yes, where the shortfall is €100 or less after counting income, the supplement and housing benefit; the deductions for employment income amount to at least €100; and no household member receives or has applied for Book II or XII benefits.

How does my income affect the amount?

Employment income above the parents’ own requirement reduces the supplement by 45% of the excess, as does the child’s income. Non-employment income and assets reduce it in full.

What if my income rises after approval?

Nothing changes until the six-month period ends. The statute provides that changes during the current period are not taken into account, by derogation from Section 48 of Book X, except a change in the household or in the maximum amount.

Which income is counted when I apply?

The average income of the six months before the authorisation period begins, not the current month’s.

Do my savings disqualify me?

Assets count only above €40,000 for the entitled person and €15,000 for each further member of the household.