Child benefit after graduation

In your school days it was pretty understandable where you can validate your right to child benefit. But after you graduate, things get a little more complicated since there are different regulations for all future paths. So that you still know whether you are entitled to your child benefit, we have put together your options here.

General

You receive child benefit in Germany every month. The amount depends on the number of yours siblings and how many children you are. The first two children are entitled to € 204, the third to € 210 and from the fourth child you receive € 235 child benefit (as of 2019). As long as you underage you are required to attend school and are therefore always entitled to the payment of your child benefit. Until you are 25, you may still be able to get child benefit, that is depending on your professional career. After the first application, you or your parents have to extend the child benefit again and again and provide appropriate evidence whether you are still entitled.

After graduation you are finished with your school education. Now the world is open to you and you have to decide whether you want to study, do an apprenticeship, go abroad or do a Bufdi / FSJ. With every path there is different legal regulations whether you continue to receive child benefit. With the Abi you are considered a student until the end of the school year (even if you finally stop attending school) and therefore continue to receive your child benefit. You will still receive money in the transition period between graduation and university. The condition is that the Transitional period not longer than four months is.

Child support …

… In the FSJ / BUFDI / FÖJ

If you only do a voluntary social or ecumenical year after completing your Abitur or do a federal voluntary service you get continued child benefit. However, you should deal with this at an early stage and ask your company to confirm your employment, as you have to prove to the family benefits office that you are spending your year sensibly and possibly even promoting your career.

… in military service

Military service is no longer compulsory in Germany, but some young people voluntarily go to the Bundeswehr after graduation. This can have various reasons: orientation, training, or if you need a waiting semester for your studies and want to use the time wisely. Whether you are entitled to child benefit is depending on the nature of your mediation and whether it may already be as vocational training is seen. If so, you will continue to receive child benefit. Your entitlement is independent of the duration of your commitment.

… in education

You always receive child benefit if you are under 25 and have completed initial training. So if you start an apprenticeship after you graduate, you will recognized as initial training and the child benefit will not be canceled

… during your studies

If you are enrolled to study, you still have the option pay you your child benefit allow. But also here you have to register with the office can demonstrate. Since there are only a few universities in Germany that require a general attendance, you may have to provide proof of achievement to prove that you are really a student and not just enrolled as a “dummy student”.

… In the internship

With internships it doesn’t matter where you work. Whether in Germany or abroad, the right to child benefit is regardless of the location. But there is the limitation that yours internship must be job-mediating or is counted as a mandatory internship for university or training. If your internship is incoherent and only intended for your orientation, your child benefit will unfortunately expire during this period.

… In the year of orientation / abroad

Are you one of the high school graduates who want to enjoy their freedom after learning stress? Then you will definitely go abroad. For your stay abroad there are many exceptions when you could get child benefit and when you don’t get money:

> as AU pair

As an au pair abroad you actually have no entitlement to child benefit. However, if you take part in courses at the university or take a language course at least 10 hours a week, there is a greater chance that you will receive child benefit.

>as a demi-pair

As a demi-pair, you usually get child benefit, as it is one academic education These.

>at work and travel

If you don’t want to work for a permanent family, you’re bound to do work and travel abroad. In that case, you have no entitlement to child benefit, because you are not in initial training or (at least most of the time) waiting for an apprenticeship. But there is exceptions how you can still get your child benefit:

a) Waiting time: You only do work and travel in the 4 months transition period between graduation and training / studies.

b) You are taking a language course at a recognized school at the same time.

>during the language course

If you are over 18, yours is allowed Language course no longer than 4 months To be long. Ideally, you take your language vacation in the transition period between graduation and training / study and continue to have your monthly child benefit anyway. Furthermore, you have to at least 10 hours a week to take part in class.

>studying abroad

If you want to study abroad for more than 12 months, or even want to complete your entire study abroad, you can still continued child benefit to get. It is important, however, that you can demonstrate a certain connection to Germany. For example, this could be regular commuting to your family. If you only have one semester, you do not have to prove this, then your study abroad is also considered normal initial training and you will continue to receive child benefit.

You can find it here More information on child benefit during your stay abroad.

You can get even more detailed information and good advice from the family fund if you are not yet sure whether you can get child benefit on your training path. There you can also download a leaflet and the application form.

PS: You can also use your child benefit for the past four years apply retrospectively!