Pflegegeld 2027: What is planned and what is still open

Pflegegeld 2027, the German long-term care cash benefit, is in active political discussion. On 30 September 2026 the federal cabinet approved a draft of the Pflegeneuordnungsgesetz (care reform act) that is meant to raise the cash benefit for care at home. It is not yet law, and the official announcement gives no euro amounts for 2027. This guide separates what is planned, what is in the legislative process and what remains open.

The most important points in brief

• The cabinet draft of the care reform act was approved on 30 September 2026. It is a draft, not an adopted law.
• The plan is that the cash benefit and the entitlements to care services at home rise for care levels 2 to 5.
• The ministry’s announcement names no euro amounts for the 2027 cash benefit.
• When the changes apply depends on the legislative process. The announcement gives no date for entry into force.
• If you receive Pflegegeld, ask your long-term care insurer which amount currently applies to you.

How the Pflegegeld works in principle

The Pflegegeld is a cash benefit paid by the long-term care insurance (Pflegeversicherung). Care recipients receive it when they are looked after at home and arrange the care themselves, for example through relatives or other carers. It differs from the care service in kind (Pflegesachleistung), where a home care service provides the care. Many households combine both, which is why the question of how these benefits are bundled matters.

The amount depends on the care level (Pflegegrad) assessed during the evaluation. The basics of the care levels are explained in our guide to the care levels 1 to 5. For daily planning, the amount in your most recent benefit notice is what counts.

What is planned for the Pflegegeld in 2027?

The cabinet draft provides for benefits to be bundled more closely. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, this is meant to raise the Pflegegeld and the entitlements to care services at home for care levels 2 to 5. The announcement of 30 September 2026 describes the direction, but not fixed amounts.

For those affected, this means the benefit is meant to rise and the building blocks of home care are to be linked more closely. How the bundling works in practice can only be read from the final statute and the rules that accompany it.

Where does the procedure stand?

Legislative projects pass through several stages. The overview below separates what has already happened, what is in progress and what is still open.

A law only takes effect once the Bundestag and the Bundesrat agree and it is promulgated. Until then the existing rules apply. Anyone who plans with a future sum is therefore planning on an assumption.

Why are the euro amounts still missing?

The amount of the Pflegegeld follows from Book XI of the Social Code (Sozialgesetzbuch XI). The ministry’s announcement names no fixed 2027 amount per care level. If you read a figure anywhere, check whether it comes from the adopted law or from a draft, an estimate or a news report.

The care services in kind are not expressed in euros in the announcement either. The amount that applies on the day of the service is always the one that counts, including when rules change during the year.

What does this mean for young adults who care for relatives?

Many carers are under 30 and in the middle of training, studies or starting a career. For them, the key question is which benefits already exist today and which steps can be taken without delay.

• Check which care level currently applies and whether a new application makes sense if the care situation has changed.
• Use the courses for relatives who care. The long-term care insurer offers them, and our guide to care courses for relatives explains how they work.
• Ask the care insurer to confirm in writing which amount applies to you, and keep the notice.

Frequently asked questions

Will the Pflegegeld definitely rise in 2027?

The cabinet draft provides for an increase for care levels 2 to 5. It is only certain once the Bundestag and the Bundesrat agree and the law enters into force. The announcement of 30 September 2026 speaks of planned changes, not adopted ones.

Does the planned increase also apply to care level 1?

The announcement names care levels 2 to 5 for home care. For care level 1 it names no change to the Pflegegeld. If you are at care level 1, ask your care insurer for the current position.

Do I have to apply to receive more Pflegegeld?

Whether an adjustment happens automatically or requires a step with the care insurer follows only from the final law. The announcement of 30 September 2026 says nothing on this point. Ask once the law has been passed.

Which sources are reliable?

Reliable sources are the statute after promulgation, the announcements of the Federal Ministry of Health and written information from your care insurer. Summaries on portals can contain preliminary or outdated figures.

Will the long-term care insurance change in other ways too?

According to the ministry, the care reform act contains further measures, including on contributions. Our guide to the care contribution 2027 covers the contribution side, and the care reform 2027 overview covers the wider picture.

What to do now

1. Note the care level and the current payment amount from your last notice from the care insurer.
2. Follow the progress of the legislative process before you base decisions on new amounts.
3. Ask your care insurer whether and when an adjustment would be implemented.
4. Plan with the amount that currently applies and keep a buffer for changes.

Related guides

• Care reform 2027: What is settled and what is still in progress
• Care contribution 2027: What employees and employers pay
• Care courses for relatives: free training for carers
• Care levels 1 to 5: which benefits belong to which level

Sources: Federal Ministry of Health, press release on the cabinet decision, 30 September 2026 (in German); Federal Government, care reform act, 2026 (in German).

Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.