Care Support Allowance (Pflegeunterstützungsgeld)

Care support allowance is an income replacement benefit provided by long-term care insurance in the event of an acute care situation. Employees can take up to 10 working days off work per calendar year and per person in need of care to organize care for a close relative or ensure that their care needs are met.

Please note: We cannot process any orders or send invoices during a period in which you receive or have received an income replacement benefit.

Requirements

To receive care support allowance, you must apply to the long-term care insurance fund or private long-term care insurance provider of the person in need of care. The following requirements must be met:

The care situation has arisen suddenly and unexpectedly and requires immediate support.

You are a close relative of the person in need of care.

Your relative has already been officially recognized as being in need of care, or it is expected that they will become in need of care in the near future.

You are employed and require a short-term leave of absence from work.

The relative in need of care is insured with a German health insurance provider but may also live outside Germany.

Applying for care support allowance

Obtain a medical certificate confirming the existing or expected need for care and the required support.

Apply for care support allowance without delay to the long-term care insurance fund or private long-term care insurance provider of the person in need of care.

Inform Smart, as your employer, without delay about your absence from work and its expected duration. A certificate confirming your loss of earnings may also be required when applying for care support allowance.

Amount

Care support allowance generally amounts to 90% of the net employment income lost. If you received one-off payments subject to social security contributions during the 12 months preceding your leave, the allowance amounts to 100% of the net employment income lost. A statutory maximum limit also applies.

During the short-term leave of absence, your insurance coverage under the statutory health, long-term care, pension, and unemployment insurance schemes generally remains in place.