First Time More Than 500,000 Care Allowance Recipients

For the first time, over half a million people, a total of 500,554, received care allowance, as the latest data from the Ministry of Social Affairs shows. This represents an increase of 10,841 people or 2.2 percent compared to May 2024, when 489,713 people received the benefit. Compared to the previous month of April with 499,112 recipients, there was an increase of 1,442 eligible individuals, which corresponds to a plus of 0.29 percent.

Demographic change and increasing life expectancy lead to more care allowance recipients

Regarding the distribution of those in need of care by level, in April, 29.1 percent were in level 1, 20.5 percent in level 2, 18.8 percent in level 3, 14.5 percent in level 4, 11.2 percent in level 5, 4.2 percent in level 6, and 1.7 percent in level 7, which is for those with the highest care needs. The classification into the individual care levels is based on the need for hours. Of the 500,554 care allowance recipients, the clear majority were once again female. In May, 306,541 women (61.2 percent) and 194,013 men (38.8 percent) were among those affected.

According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, led by Minister Korinna Schumann, the demographic change and increasing life expectancy are also reflected in the rising number of eligible individuals and in the development of care allowance applications. After a brief pandemic-related stagnation, there has been an increase in eligible individuals in recent years.

"It is all the more positive to highlight that it has been possible to secure the care allowance, including the annual valorization by the adjustment factor, in the budget," Schumann once again pointed out that the care allowance remained unaffected by the savings measures. On the topic of the shortage of care workers, reference was made to the statements made by the Minister back in May, stating that good working conditions are necessary. To create these, sufficient staff is needed. It is also important to balance family and work.

Number of care allowance recipients (since its introduction in 1993)*

* 1) until 1/2011 only federal care allowance recipients (in addition, up to 70,000 state care allowance recipients per year, standardized from 2012)
**2) since 2014, all those in need of care who are in hospitals and whose care allowance is therefore suspended are also counted. Furthermore, a switch was made from a reference date survey to a monthly survey

(APA/Red)

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