Maternity benefits compensate for lost income when mothers are not allowed to work during their pregnancy or after the birth of the child, for example during maternity leave periods.

Maternity benefits include

• Maternity protection pay
• Maternity benefit from the statutory health insurance fund
• Maternity benefit from the Federal Social Security Office
• Employer supplement to maternity pay

It is important for student mothers to know:

• Student mothers who are in an employment relationship and are voluntarily or compulsorily insured in the statutory health insurance fund can apply to your health insurance fund for maternity benefits, which are paid during the protection periods before and after childbirth.
• Student mothers who are not themselves members of a statutory health insurance fund (insured as a wife/life partner or as a child covered by family insurance through the parents) but are marginally employed receive maternity benefits totaling up to 210 euros from the Federal Office for Social Security and, if applicable, also a maternity benefit supplement from the employer.

Parental allowance is compensation for lost income due to parental leave. In this way, the parental allowance helps to secure the financial livelihood of families.

The amount depends on the income in the last 12 months before the birth of the child and is on average about 65% of the net income. Parents with low income receive up to 100% of the lost net income. Parental allowance is also paid if there was no previous gainful employment. This means that students can also receive parental allowance.

Parental allowance is available in three variants: Basiselterngeld / ElterngeldPlus /Partnership bonus: Basic parental allowance can be claimed in the first 14 months of the child's life if both parents apply for parental leave. Both parents are free to divide the period between them, whereby one parent can receive parental allowance for a minimum of 2 months and a maximum of 12 months. If only one parent applies for parental leave, parental allowance can be received for a maximum of 12 months. Those who work more than 32 hours per week are not entitled to parental allowance.

The parental allowance calculator and planner on the family portal of the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs helps to calculate, without obligation, how much parental allowance you are likely to be entitled to.

A detailed overview of the regulations on parental allowance can be found on the family portal of the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs.

All children are entitled to child benefit regardless of their parents' income. It is paid monthly by the family benefits offices of the Federal Employment Agency. Child benefit can also be paid for young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 if you are still in (vocational) training. You can find out more about this under Child benefit for children in training.

The current payment amount and more information can be found on the pages of the Employment Agency. The application can be submitted online after the birth.

The service telephone of the family benefits offices is available at +49 (0)800 4 5555 30 (toll-free).

As a supplement to child benefit, parents with low incomes can apply for child supplement if they have enough income for themselves but it does not cover all of the family's needs.The Federal Ministry of Family Affairs' Child Supplement Pilot helps determine whether an entitlement exists.

Federal Employment Agency

Housing allowance is available to anyone who is unable to finance adequate housing on their own due to their income situation. You must apply for housing benefit in writing to your housing benefit office. There you will also find the application forms and can get advice. Housing allowance is not paid retroactively, but from the month in which the application was made. If you receive other social benefits that already take your housing costs into account, you cannot normally receive housing allowance.

The amount of housing benefit depends on

• The number of people living in the apartment,
• the monthly income of the persons living in the apartment, and
• the amount of rent.

If you have a low income, you can also apply for a Wohnberechtigungsschein (WBS). With a WBS, you can prove that you are eligible to move into social housing. Social housing is subsidized with public funds. You can also apply for the WBS at your Wohngeldstelle.

Housing Allowance Office Dortmund

Children who live with a single parent and receive no or no regular maintenance from the other parent are entitled to advance maintenance payments.

There is no income limit for the single parent. A court decision on maintenance against the other parent is not required. If the other parent is fully or partially able to pay, he or she will be claimed by the state in the amount of the advance maintenance payment made.

It applies:

• Up to the age of 12 (12th birthday), children can receive advance maintenance payments without any time restrictions.
• Children between the ages of 12 and 18 (18th birthday) can also receive advance maintenance payments. The prerequisite for this is that they are not dependent on benefits under Book II of the Social Code (SGB II) or that the single parent in receipt of SGB II benefits earns at least 600 euros gross.

Advance child support

The Federal Foundation "Mother and Child - Protection of Unborn Life" was established to provide unbureaucratic assistance to pregnant women in emergency situations and to make it easier for them to continue their pregnancy. The foundation provides assistance in financially difficult situations for expenses related to pregnancy and birth, such as pregnancy clothing and initial equipment for the child. There is no legal entitlement to this support, the benefits are based on the respective emergency situation and are income-dependent.

Prerequisites for assistance are:

• a financial emergency
• an existing pregnancy
• counseling by a pregnancy counseling center and application there for assistance from the Federal Foundation before the birth
• residence or habitual abode in Germany

Applications for assistance can be made up to the 20th week of pregnancy at the pregnancy counseling centers in Dortmund.