Maintenance Advance

Your child, whom you are raising alone, is entitled to advance maintenance payments if he or she is

• is not yet 18 years old
• lives with you in Germany,
• and receives no or insufficient support from the other parent.

After the age of 12, your child is entitled only if one of the following conditions is met:

• You or your child do not receive unemployment benefit (Bürgergeld – SGB II).
• Your child’s need for assistance can be prevented by the advance on maintenance payments
• You have a gross monthly income of at least 600 euros and receive supplementary unemployment benefit (Bürgergeld – SGB II).

For details on the entitlement to advance maintenance payments, please refer to the following fact sheet with information on the Advance Maintenance Payments Act.

In addition to the authoritative information sheet in German, translations are available in the following languages:

The amount of the advance maintenance payment is based on the statutory minimum maintenance payment. The child benefit paid from public funds is deducted from this.

The minimum maintenance was increased as of January 1, 2024.

Since January 1, 2024, the monthly advance maintenance payment will be:

Maintenance payments by the other parent or other income of the child (e.g. half-orphan’s pension) are offset against these amounts.

If you and your child receive unemployment benefit (Bürgergeld – SGB II) from the Jobcenter and your child has reached the age of 12, you are only entitled to advance maintenance payments under certain conditions. Please inform yourself about this with the help of the information sheet in the application for maintenance advance from July 1, 2017. It is possible that your need to secure your livelihood will continue to be ensured only by the Jobcenter.

However, if the Jobcenter assumes that there is an entitlement to priority maintenance advance, you will be requested to submit an application there.

In any case, you will receive your benefits to secure your livelihood from the Jobcenter for a transitional period (until advance maintenance payments are actually paid) without offsetting advance maintenance payments at the previous amount.

Please submit your Application for Advance Child Support with the following form to the Youth Welfare Office of your district of residence. This form also lists the documents that you must submit. Please submit your application in time, because advance maintenance payments are only paid retroactively for one month under certain conditions.