Care Allowance to be Increased in 2025, Bonus for Caregiving Relatives Remains
The care allowance will be increased again routinely at the turn of the year - as has been the case since 2020 by the so-called "adjustment factor". For 2024, this means an increase of 4.6 percent - analogous to pensions and other family and social benefits. The bonus for caregiving relatives will also be adjusted, from 2025 it will be 130.80 euros per month instead of the previous 125 euros.
Care Allowance Will Be Routinely Increased in 2025
From January 1, care allowance recipients of level 1 will receive 200.80 euros per month (previously 192 euros), at level 2 one then gets 370.30 euros (previously 354). 577 euros are available at level 3 (previously 552), 865.10 euros at level 4 (previously 827), at level 5 then 1,175.20 euros (previously 1,123.50). For those affected in level 6, there will be 1,641.10 euros (previously 1,569) and in level 7 2,156.60 euros (previously 2,061.80).
Caregiving Relatives Will Also Receive a Bonus in 2025
The bonus for caregiving relatives will continue in 2025. All persons who care for close relatives at home, who are entitled to at least a care allowance of level 4, and who have favorably insured themselves or further insured themselves in the pension insurance due to this activity, are eligible. Other relatives are also entitled to the support service under certain conditions.
For the first time, according to the Ministry of Social Affairs, the subsidies for hospice and palliative care will be valorized on January 1, 2025: the federal government, states and social insurance will each provide around 54 million euros in 2025, a total of more than 162 million euros. This can finance mobile (children's) palliative teams, palliative consultative services, (children's) hospice teams, day hospices and stationary (children's) hospices.
More Financial Resources for Long-Term Care
The care fund for financing long-term care is also being valorised: For the year 2025, the funds will increase by 5.0 percent to 1.155 billion euros. This will finance, for example, the continuation of the salary increase for care and support staff, community nursing, mobile care and nursing services, stationary care and nursing services, semi-stationary day care, short-term care in stationary facilities, as well as measures for digitalisation.
The training allowance, which can be paid out monthly to trainees in care and social care professions, is also increasing by 5 percent and will amount to 630 euros in the coming year.
Further Changes in the Care Sector
From the coming year, the 15a agreement on social care professions between the federal government and the states will be implemented. This lowers the age limit for specialist and diploma social carers to 18 years. Home helpers will receive more competencies: They will be allowed to administer eye and ear drops or measure blood pressure, for example. The corresponding teaching units in the home help training will also be expanded.
The funding for 24-hour care remains the same for now - it was increased twice in 2023, most recently to 800 euros for two independent care workers.
(APA/Red)
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