Serious Illness or Death in the Family: What Happens to Elterngeld

Elterngeld has special rules for serious illness and death. They are meant to keep the family's support in place when the planned care no longer works. This page explains them in plain terms. The Elterngeldstelle decides each case individually and usually asks for a medical certificate or other proof.

If care by the other parent is impossible, the parent who cares can claim like a single parent (§ 4c Abs. 1 Nr. 3 BEEG). Typical reasons are serious illness, severe disability or death. Economic reasons or other commitments, such as a demanding job, do not count. Proof is usually a medical certificate.

• The caring parent can then:
• •take the 2 partner months in addition, if their income from work drops in two life months, so up to 14 months of Basiselterngeld
• •take Partnerschaftsbonus months alone when working 24 to 32 hours a week in 2 to 4 consecutive months (§ 4c Abs. 2 BEEG)
• •continue a Partnerschaftsbonus that has already started alone (§ 4b Abs. 4 BEEG)

A parent's own Elterngeld ends at the end of the life month in which they died (§ 4 Abs. 2 BEEG). The surviving parent can take over the remaining months and the partner months under the rules above.

Normally, months that were already paid out cannot be changed. In cases of particular hardship, such as the death or serious illness of the parent who was supposed to care, this is allowed (§ 7 Abs. 2 BEEG). Changes still reach back at most three life months before the month in which the change request arrives, so apply as soon as you can.

If you are in Elternzeit and need to end or change it early because of the death or serious illness of a parent or child, your employer can refuse only within four weeks, in writing and for urgent operational reasons (§ 16 Abs. 3 BEEG).

If the parents cannot care for their child because of serious illness, severe disability or death, relatives up to the third degree and their spouses or registered partners can get Elterngeld (§ 1 Abs. 4 BEEG). That includes great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and siblings, including half-siblings.

• Conditions:
• •The relative meets the usual requirements: lives in Germany, lives with the child, cares for the child and works no more than 32 hours a week.
• •No one else entitled, such as a parent, stepparent or adoptive parent, claims Elterngeld.
• •Economic hardship alone is not enough. A statement from the Jugendamt or a medical certificate may be required.

If a single parent is affected, the condition only has to apply to that parent. Relatives share the same months as the parents would have (§ 4d BEEG), and their Elterngeld is based on their own income. As employees, they can also take Elternzeit for the child.

Your claim continues if you cannot start caring for the child right away, or have to interrupt care for an important reason (§ 1 Abs. 5 BEEG). Examples are a hospital stay of the parent or the child, a rehabilitation stay or a necessary exam. Working more than 32 hours is not such a reason.

The interruption must be temporary, which the guidelines take as expected to last no more than three months. If it is expected to last longer, or actually goes beyond three months, the claim ends at the end of that life month, for the future only.

We are very sorry if this is your situation. Elterngeld is paid until the end of the life month in which the child died (§ 4 Abs. 2 BEEG). You can still apply for the months in which your child was alive, within the usual window of three life months back.

• •Elternzeit ends at the latest three weeks after the child's death (§ 16 Abs. 4 BEEG).
• •If one twin dies, parents can still take Basiselterngeld at the same time, even if they apply after the death.
• •If the child dies in the first month of the Partnerschaftsbonus, the bonus can exceptionally be paid for that one month.