When relatives look after someone at home, the question of whether a care service, a care allowance or a mix of both fits comes up early. The answer depends on the care level, the amount of care needed and who provides it. This guide answers the most important questions in the order in which they arise in daily life.
Short answer: People in care levels 2 to 5 can apply for a care allowance (Pflegegeld) instead of care in kind if they organise the care themselves in a suitable way. If someone uses a care service only partly, they receive a proportionate allowance, reduced by the share of care in kind used. The chosen split is binding for six months. Last updated: November 2026.
The key points in brief
- The care allowance is available for care levels 2 to 5 if the care is organised by the person themselves.
- The amount is graded by care level. Current benefit amounts are set out in the official announcements and by your care insurance fund.
- With a combination you receive a proportionate allowance that is reduced in line with the care in kind used.
- Recipients of the care allowance must regularly request a counselling visit.
- For short-term and replacement care, a proportionate allowance at half the amount can continue for up to eight weeks per calendar year.
What is the difference between care allowance and care in kind?
With the care allowance, the person in need of care receives a cash benefit with which they organise the care themselves, for example through relatives, friends or other suitable persons. With care in kind, the person in need of care engages an approved care service, and the care insurance fund settles the benefit directly with it. In that case the money does not go to the person but to the service.
| Feature | Care allowance | Care in kind |
|---|---|---|
| Who receives the benefit? | People in need of care who organise the care themselves | People in need of care who engage an approved care service |
| How is it settled? | Payment to the person in need of care | Settlement of the benefit through the care service |
| Who provides the care? | Relatives, friends or other suitable persons | Care staff of the engaged service |
The table describes the basic logic of both benefits. Which form suits your household depends on how much care is needed and who can reliably be there.
Who is entitled to the care allowance?
Under section 37 subsection 1 of Book XI of the Social Code, people in care levels 2 to 5 can apply for a care allowance instead of domestic care support. The condition is that they organise the corresponding scope of care, supervision and household help themselves in a suitable way. The amount is graded by care level.
Anyone without a care level yet should first clarify the classification, because without it there is no basis for a care allowance. Our guide on applying for a care level (in German) explains the procedure.
What happens if you combine a care service and a care allowance?
Under section 38 of Book XI, the person in need of care can also use the care in kind only partly. They then receive a proportionate care allowance, which is reduced by the percentage of care in kind they have used. Anyone who uses half of the care in kind therefore receives a proportionate allowance for the other half.
The chosen split between cash and care in kind binds the person in need of care for six months. A change is therefore not possible at will and should be planned in good time.
| Share of care in kind used | Remaining care allowance (simplified) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 0 percent | 100 percent | Pure care allowance |
| 30 percent | 70 percent | Partly care in kind |
| 50 percent | 50 percent | Equal split |
| 100 percent | 0 percent | Pure care in kind |
The table is a simplified illustration based on an assumption: the starting point is a full care allowance of 100 percent. The calculation of the care insurance fund is decisive.
What applies to the counselling visit?
People in care levels 2 to 5 who receive the care allowance must request a counselling visit in their home every six months. For care levels 4 and 5 the counselling can take place quarterly. The first counselling visit must take place in your own home.
Until 31 March 2027, every second counselling visit can take place by video conference on request. This rule is time-limited, and you should note the appointment in your calendar, because it is easily missed.
How do short-term and replacement care affect the care allowance?
If the carer is unavailable, for example due to holiday or illness, replacement care and short-term care can be used. Under section 38 of Book XI, a proportionate care allowance is then paid on for up to eight weeks per calendar year, at half of the previous amount.
This rule matters when home care rests on one person. Plan a break in good time and clarify with the care insurance fund which form of replacement care is suitable for you.
Frequently asked questions
Is a care allowance better than a care service?
This cannot be answered in general. A care allowance suits if there are reliable relatives or helpers who organise and provide the care. A care service suits if the care should be professionally supported or if no relatives are available. A combination is often sensible.
Must the care allowance be taxed?
Tax questions around care benefits follow their own rules, which have to be checked case by case. Our guide on care costs and tax (in German) explains the basics. Binding information comes from the tax office or a tax adviser.
Can I pass the care allowance on to a carer?
The care allowance serves to organise the care. The carer usually receives it through the person in need of care. Whether and how a transfer is permissible is clarified with the care insurance fund in the individual case.
What should I consider when changing the split?
The split between cash and care in kind is binding for six months. Plan a change in good time, because you cannot make it on the spur of the moment. Ask the care insurance fund from when a change takes effect.
Will the care allowance stay the same in 2027?
Changes for 2027 are planned in the legislative process and are not yet in force. Our overview of the care reform (in German) separates what has been decided from what is planned. Until entry into force, the rules currently in force remain decisive.
What to do now
- Clarify the care level before deciding between care allowance and care service.
- Draw up a list of care tasks and sort them by whether a relative or a service should take them on.
- Check whether a combination covers the care better, and have the care insurance fund advise you.
- Schedule the counselling visits firmly, because they are compulsory if you receive the care allowance.
Related articles
- Care reform 2027: what is settled and what is still in progress
- Applying for a care level: procedure, deadlines and assessment
- Care levels 1 to 5: which benefits belong to which level
- Care leave: time off work for relatives in need of care
- Care allowance 2027: what changes and what remains open
Sources: Section 37 of Book XI of the Social Code, care allowance (gesetze-im-internet.de), Section 38 of Book XI of the Social Code, combination benefit (gesetze-im-internet.de). The benefit amounts are set out in the official announcements on care benefits.
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
