Service Finder
Apply for advance maintenance payments for children of single parents
Service Description
You will receive advance maintenance payments for your child if you are raising it in your household without another parent against whom the child is entitled to maintenance. However, this maintenance is not paid by the other parent/debtor, or is paid incompletely or irregularly.
If the eligibility requirements are met, you will be paid the maintenance advance until your child reaches the age of majority.
The amount of the maintenance advance is based on the minimum maintenance amount. The advance maintenance payment is paid monthly in the amount of the minimum maintenance for the relevant age group. The amount of child benefit is deducted from this if the single parent is entitled to full child benefit.
Since 01.01.2025, the following amounts apply for the maintenance advance:
- for children up to 5 years: 227 euros per month
- for children aged 6 to 11: 299 euros per month
- for children from 12 to 18 years: 394 euros per month
Who should I contact?
The maintenance advance offices of the districts and independent cities are responsible.
Competent authority
Maintenance advance office
Requirements
A child receives maintenance advance up to the day before reaching the age of 12 if it
a) lives in Germany with (only) one of his/her parents who
- is single, widowed or divorced or
- lives permanently separated from his/her spouse/partner or
- whose spouse/partner is expected to be in an institution for six months, and
b) does not or does not regularly
- maintenance from the other parent or
- orphan's benefits if the other parent has died.
After the age of 12, your child is only entitled to maintenance if one of the following conditions is met:
- You or your child do not receive a citizen's allowance.
- Advance maintenance payments can prevent your child from needing assistance.
- You have a gross monthly income of at least EUR 600 and receive supplementary citizen's allowance.
Foreign children: Foreign nationals must meet additional requirements under immigration law. These are checked on a case-by-case basis (the relevant residence permit must be submitted).
Which documents are required?
In addition to the application form, depending on the individual case, the following may be required
- the birth certificate of the child concerned
- the identity card of the single parent
- for foreign children / parents: identity card and valid proof of residence permit
- confirmation of registration or information from the population register
- the maintenance title: current maintenance determination, maintenance certificate, judgment, order
- In the case of separation of a marriage: divorce decree
- If applicable, letter from the lawyer about the date of separation
- the current tax card
- for unmarried parents: Certificate of acknowledgment of paternity or judgment establishing paternity
- Proof of income:
- Child benefit
- Half-orphan's pension, if applicable
- Maintenance payments, if applicable
- If applicable, notices of approval/recognition of benefits under the Maintenance Advance Act from other maintenance advance funds
- SGB II notice, if applicable
- School certificate, if applicable
Legal basis
Appeal
The forms and information sheets are available in the Thuringian forms service.
What else should I know?
Advance maintenance payments can be granted retroactively for one month if the requirements were already met at that time.
Author
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
Technically approved by
Thuringian Ministry for Social Affairs, Health, Labor and Family (TMSGAF)
Professionally released on
11.02.2025
Source: Zuständigkeitsfinder Thüringen (Linie6Plus)
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