Care benefits & costs
Care grades, care allowance, benefits in kind, relief amount, day care and grants: what German long-term care insurance pays in 2026 and how to claim it.
Articles
Benefits in kind and the combination benefit: mixing home care and care allowance
Benefits in kind (Pflegesachleistung) 2026: €796 to €2,299 a month for home care. How the combination benefit with care allowance works, with examples.
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Care allowance (Pflegegeld) 2026: what German care insurance pays per grade
Care allowance (Pflegegeld) 2026: €347 at care grade 2 up to €990 at grade 5 per month. Eligibility, advisory visits, combining with home care and tax rules.
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Care grades 1 to 5 in Germany: how the points work and what each grade pays
German care grades (Pflegegrade) 1 to 5 explained: points from 12.5 to 100, the six assessment modules and their weighting, and benefits per grade in 2026.
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Day care for older people in Germany: what care insurance pays and what you pay
Day care (Tagespflege) in Germany 2026: care insurance pays €721 to €2,085 a month on top of the care allowance. Own share, relief amount, transport, example.
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Home adaptation grant in Germany: up to €4,180 from care insurance
Home adaptation grant in Germany 2026: up to €4,180 per measure from care grade 1, max. €16,720 for several people. Bathroom, stairlift, application, deadlines.
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The €131 relief amount (Entlastungsbetrag): what it covers and how to claim it
Relief amount (Entlastungsbetrag) 2026: €131 a month from care grade 1 for recognised services. What it covers, how to claim, carry-over and planned reform.
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Respite care and short-term care in Germany: using the €3,539 annual budget
Respite and short-term care in Germany 2026: joint annual budget of €3,539, up to 8 weeks each, half the care allowance continues, rules for relatives, claims.
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