Until how many years do you get child support? The most important information at a glance:
- You will receive child support for each of your children at least until their 18th birthday.
- There are certain conditions under which you can still receive child support for your kids after their 18th birthday.
- Normally, you will receive child support up to your child's 25th birthday at most.
As a reminder, what is child support and who receives it?
Child support is financial support from the state to ensure basic care for your child. In return, you get 250€ per child every calendar month. Anyone who receives child support is in Federal Child Benefit Act (BKGG) regulated. According to this, everyone who has German citizenship and whose children meet the necessary requirements receives child benefit. Under certain conditions, you will also receive child benefits if you are a foreign citizen.
The child benefit is always due to one of the two parents. There is always only one contact person at the family fund and therefore also a recipient of child benefits. In principle, you can decide for yourself who that is with you. This is true even if one of you is a stepmom or stepdad — i.e. not the biological mother or father. If you live separately as parents, the one of you with whom the child lives most of the time receives child support.
But beware: You do not automatically receive child support after the birth of your child. You must apply for it from your local family fund. You can find out how to apply for child support in this guide.
How long do you get child support?
When it comes to child support, there are three important age groups that you should know: 18 years, 21 years and 25 years. They always relate to the age of each individual child — after all, you also receive child support for each of your children independently of each other. You can now find out what lies behind these age groups and what requirements your child must meet in each case.
Your child benefit claim: How long are you entitled to it at least?
As long as your child is a minor, you are definitely entitled to child support. So it doesn't matter whether your child is still in school, is doing an apprenticeship or is still in the discovery phase. You will definitely receive monthly child support until your 18th birthday. For every calendar month in which your child is a minor for at least one day.
example:
Your child will be 18 years old on March 15. For March, you will receive the full child benefit amount of 150€. However, if your child's birthday is on March 1, they will be of legal age throughout the month — meaning that you are no longer entitled to child support for March.
From the age of 18, you are only entitled to child benefit under certain conditions. You must therefore take action now and apply to the family fund for an extension of the child benefit payment.
Child benefit for adult children: there are these regulations
Even if it feels a bit like it: By their 18th birthday, your kids won't grow up overnight. Often nothing changes in everyday life — they continue to go to school, study, do an apprenticeship or do something completely different. We've taken a close look at the most important scenarios for you and tell you whether and how you'll receive child support during this time:
Child benefit during education, schooling or studies
At 18, most young adults still go to school, do vocational training or study. All of this prepares them for their later professional life. But they can't live on that yet. They are therefore still financially dependent on their parents. That is why many ask themselves: “How long do you get child support during education?” - or during your studies, of course? The answer to that: You are also entitled to child benefits for adult children during education, school or studies — up to a maximum of their 25th birthday.
After your child's 18th birthday, you must therefore report to the family fund what your child is currently doing. By the way, this also applies during transition phases, for example between Abitur and the start of studies. Even if, despite all efforts, your child is unable to find a place to study or train, you will continue to receive child support. However, you may then have to provide evidence that your child has made an effort to do so.
But beware: That doesn't mean that you simply receive continuous child support until your 25th birthday, even though your education has long since ended. As soon as something changes, you are required to inform the family fund about it. If you receive child support even though you are no longer eligible, you must repay it afterwards.
This also means the other way around: If your child is still in the middle of an apprenticeship or study at their 25th birthday, you are still no longer entitled to child benefit. This is because for children over 25 years of age, there are only still child benefits under very special conditions. But more about that later.
Child benefit in voluntary service
After school, your child would like to spend a year in Voluntary service work? Since it depends on your financial support during this time, you will of course continue to receive child support. Assuming that your child is under 25 years of age.
Volunteer service is then likely to be followed by training or study. The same conditions apply for this: As long as your child is under 25 years of age, you will continue to receive child support for your child during this period.
Child support while looking for a job
Your child would like to work but simply can't find the right job? If it registers as a jobseeker immediately after completing school or training, you are still entitled to child benefitso that you can financially support your child during this time. The prerequisite for this is that your child is under 21 years of age. From the age of 21, there is no longer any child benefit during unemployment.
Financial support for children in need of care: In these cases, child benefit is also available after the 25th birthday
Physical, mental, or emotional disabilities can mean that your child is unable to take care of themselves financially — regardless of age. In this case, you can still count on child support even after your 25th birthday. The prerequisite for this is that the disability existed before the 25th birthday.
Changes to child benefit: By when do you have to report them?
It is not automatic that you receive child support. You must apply for it from the family fund after birth. Changes are also not made automatically. As soon as your child has finished school and starts an education, you must report this to the family fund — and of course any other change.
These are the most important reasons that you must definitely report to the family fund:
- Your child is completing, starting or interrupting an education — regardless of whether it's school, vocational training or study
- You are separating from the other parent
- You or the other parent is now working or living abroad
- Your child gets a stepdad or stepmom through marriage or a registered partnership
- Your child is getting married himself
- Your child will become a mom or dad himself
- Your child is moving out
- Your account number is changing
Don't be afraid: A change does not automatically mean that you will no longer receive child support. However, the family fund must always be informed about the current situation.
In return, you may also receive a questionnaire in between. You are required by law to complete this questionnaire — even if nothing has changed. The other way around is of course also true: If you filled out a questionnaire just a few weeks ago, but now something changes, you still have to report it.
It is best to always inform your responsible family fund as soon as possible about the changes. Because if you don't report changes, in the worst case scenario, you'll even be liable to prosecution. In addition, you are always sure that your claim to child benefit is justified and that you do not have to repay any money you have already received.
Saving child support — is that possible?
What exactly you do with child support is up to you. You get it in your bank account and you can use it there to pay everyday expenses. If your child has already moved out, you can also pass on the money directly — for example by transferring it to Bling Card book your child. Of course, you can also save money, for example in sustainable Sparbäumen by Bling. There, you invest in sustainable funds and watch your savings grow. The earlier you start, the bigger and stronger the tree will be.
