Puh, nun ist das neue ElterngeldPlus nicht mehr weit und vielen ist dennoch unklar, was genau das nun in der Praxis bedeutet. Es gibt nur spärliche Informationen, bisher keine geschulten Sachbearbeiter und undurchsichtige Rechenbeispiele. Das wollen wir mit unserem Beitrag nun ändern. Wir haben uns tagelang durch gesetzte Präsentationen, Broschüren und Zahlen gekämpft um ein bisschen Licht in das Elterngeldchaos zu bringen.
Der bisherige Elterngeldbezug ist, wie ihr auf der Statistik gut sehen könnt, sehr unregelmäßig verteilt. So sind noch immer die Mütter diejenigen, die das meiste Elterngeld beziehen und dies auch über einen längeren Zeitraum. Die Partner nehmen klassischerweise die zwei Partnermonate. Doch das soll sich laut der Familienministerin Schwesig nun mit dem neuen Elterngeld, dem ElterngeldPlus, nämlich ändern:
Wir ermöglichen Müttern und Vätern mehr Zeit für Familie und eine größere Flexibilität. Mit dem Partnerschaftsbonus fördern wir die Partnerschaftlichkeit in den Familien. – Bundesfamilienministerin Manuela Schwesig
Klingt ja alles ganz wunderbar. Doch was genau heißt das in der Praxis? Wer darf Elterngeld wie lange beziehen? Welche Varianten gibt es? Und wie berechnet sich das Elterngeld Plus? Wir haben die bisher nur sehr dürftig gestreuten Informationen genau unter die Lupe genommen und für Euch so aufbereitet, dass man sie (hoffentlich) verstehen kann.
Voraussetzungen für den Anspruch
- Gemeinsam mit dem Kind im gemeinsamen Haushalt leben
- Betreuung und Erziehung erfolgt hauptsächlich durch den Elternteil
- Arbeitszeit nicht höher als 30 h/ Woche unabhängig ob angestellt oder selbstständig
- Eltern, die ihren Wohnsitz, gewöhnlichen Aufenthalt oder Arbeitsplatz in Deutschland haben
- Gilt ebenfalls für angenommen Kinder, für Verwandte 3. Grades (z.B. Großeltern) bei Krankheit oder Tod der Eltern
- Unabhängig davon ob Arbeitslos, Hausfrau, Arbeitnehmer, Selbstständig, im Studium oder Weiterbildung befindlich oder Beamte – alle haben Anspruch
- Ausnahme sind Eltern, die gemeinsam ein zu versteuerndes Einkommen von mehr als 500.000€ hatten oder für Alleinerziehende, deren zu versteuerndes Jahreseinkommen mehr als 250.000 € beträgt
Arten des Elterngeldes
Früher gab es das normale Elterngeld, welches man sich in voller Höhe auf den normalen Bezugszeitraum auszahlen lassen konnte oder halbiert auf die doppelte Länge dessen. Man konnte auch bis zu einer gewissen Stundenanzahl dazu verdienen, wobei hier der Zuverdient jedoch auf das Elterngeld direkt angerechnet wurde.
Für unser Beispiel bedeutet es, dass die Differenz von Einkommen vor und nach der Geburt (1400 € – 560 €) berechnet wurde. Hier wird dann auf Grundlage des anzusetzenden Prozentsatzes (65 %) die Elterngeldzahlung berechnet wurde.
Dies ist nun anders, denn es gibt zwei, eigentlich drei verschiedene Elterngeldarten.
- Das Basiselterngeld – das ist wie das normale Elterngeld bisher auch gewesen ist. Hier verändert sich auch nichts.
- Das ElterngeldPlus ohne Zuverdienst – das ist das halbe Basiselterngeld auf den doppelten Bezugszeitraum. Anders als früher ändert sich also nicht nur der Auszahlungszeitraum sondern auch der Bezugszeitraum. Das ist aber ohne Zuverdienst erst einmal nicht wichtig.
- Das ElterngeldPlus mit Zuverdienst – das ist das halbes Basiselterngeld plus Einkommen aus Teilzeittätigkeit auf doppelten Bezugszeitraum. Und hier wird die Neuerung erst richtig spannend, denn hier kann letztendlich mehr Geld für teilzeitverdienende Familien übrig bleiben als früher.
Was bedeutet halbes Basiselterngeld bei Bezug von ElterngeldPLUS mit Zuverdienst und wie wirkt sich das auf die Zahlungen aus?
In unserem Beispiel bekommt man mit dem ElterngeldPLUS trotz Zuverdienst von 560€ über zwei Jahre 4368€ mehr, als mit dem aktuellem Elterngeld.
Um Euch die unterschiedliche Handhabe zu erleichtern haben wir das Basiselterngeld und das ElterngeldPlus mal gegenübergestellt:
Basiselterngeld |
ElterngeldPlus |
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Höhe
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Höhe
Ohne Verdienst während der Elterngeldzahlungen:
Mit Verdienst während der Elterngeldzahlungen:
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| Bezugszeitraum
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Bezugszeitraum
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Berechnungsgrundlage
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Berechnungsgrundlage
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Außerdem ist noch gut zu wissen…
Dass die gesetzliche Krankenversicherung während der gesamten Elternzeit bestehen bleibt
- Für Pflichtmitglieder werden in dieser Zeit keine Beiträge erhoben
- Mitglieder der Familienversicherung sind beitragsfrei weiterversichert
- Selbstständige mit Privatversicherung müssen weiterhin Beiträge zahlen
Ab dem 15. Monat kann beim ElterngeldPlus ebenfalls das Betreuungsgeld in Höhe von 150 Euro beantragt werden, wenn man keine Kindertagestätte in Anspruch nehmen möchte.
Elterngeldbezug bedeutet nicht das Elternzeit genommen wird, denn so können Selbstständige auch Elterngeld beziehen obwohl sie keine Elternzeit haben.
Da meist ArbeitnehmerInnen das Elterngeld gemeinsam mit der Elternzeit nehmen, dürfen sie dennoch nicht vergessen die Elternzeit beim Arbeitgeber zu beantragen.
Außerdem kann man das Elterngeld rückwirkend für 3 Monate beantragen. Danach verfällt der Anspruch auf diese Zeit.
Der Rentenanspruch beträgt für maximal 3 Jahre dem jährlichen Durchschnittsverdienst aller Versicherten.
Was noch offen ist…
Bisher findet man im Bundeselterngeld- und Elterzeitgesetz die Festlegung, dass für Monate nach der Geburt der Zuverdienst durchschnittlich geringer als das Einkommen vor der Geburt sein muss, um auf Grundlage des Differenzeinkommens (vor und nach der Geburt) das zu zahlende ElterngeldPLUS zu berechen. Bisher ist noch nicht ganz klar, wie genau sich die Höhe des Zuverdienstes auf die Höhe des ElterngeldPlus auswirkt. Es wird wohl eine Deckelung geben, die aber noch nicht konkret ausformuliert wurde. Das wird sehr spannend, denn genau hier liegt der Knackpunkt ob das neue Elterngeld in der Praxis auch wirklich das hält was es in all den Reden der Ministerin und Präsentationen des Ministeriums verspricht und für die Familien in der praxis auch umsetzbar sein wird.
Unterm Strich kann man aber sagen, es bekommen in Teilzeit arbeitende Eltern über den gestreckten Zeitraum dann genauso viel Elterngeld wie Eltern, die auf Berufstätigkeit verzichten.
Aktueller Informationsstand der Ämter:
Die Elterngeldstellen werden, soweit wir in erfahrung bringen konnten, erst ab Juli in dem neuen Elterngeld geschult (das ist zumindest der Stand in Berlin). Wer also jetzt schon (verständlicherweise) Fragen zum neuen Elterngeld hat, wird es schwer haben diese beantwortet zu bekommen.
Wir werden Euch natürlich über alle wichtigen Neuerungen auf dem Laufenden halten und in unserem Blog darüber berichten. Wenn ihr noch zusäztliche individuelle Fragen zum Thema Elterngeld bzw ElterngeldPlus habt, beraten wir Euch jederzeit gern! Meldet Euch einfach unverbindlich unter info@maternita.de.
Hier zur Veranschaulichung noch einmal die oben erklärten Grafiken im direkten Vergleich:
Fotocredits
Beitragsbild: evgenyatamanenko
Rechenbeispiele: alphaspirit, oksox
The introduction of the new ElterngeldPlus is in sight and for many people, it is still quite unclear what this means in practice. There is only vague information available and currently no trained administrators and untransparent calculation examples. We aim to change all of that with this detailed post. We have fought for days through presentations, brochures and figures to shed light on the Elterngeld chaos for you!
Currently Elterngeld claims are spread very unevenly between the sexes and so mums tend to be the ones claiming Elterngeld the most and over a longer period than dads. The classic trend is for dads to take the two partner months. However, according to the German Family Minister, Manuela Schwesig, this should all change with the introduction of ElterngeldPlus:
We give mothers and fathers more time for family and greater flexibility. With the partnership bonus, we are promoting more equality between partners in families. – Federal Family Minister Manuela Schwesig
That all sounds wonderful but what does it mean in practice? Who can claim Elterngeld and for how long? What variants are there? And how is EltergeldPlus calculated? We have analysed the very thinly spread information available and hope that we can present this in an understandable way.
Eligibility
- Living in the same household as the child
- Child being raised mainly by the claimant
- Claimant not working more than 30 hours / week, either in employment or self-employed/freelance
- Claimant is resident in Germany or works in Germany
- Applies for adopted children and for close relatives (e.g. Grandparents) if a parent dies or is sick
- Irrespective of whether someone is unemployed, a housewife, employee or seld-employed, a student, an apprentice or a civil servant- all are entitled to claim
- Exceptions are parents with a taxable income of more than 500,000€ in the last calendar year or single parents who earned more than 250,000 €
Types of Elterngeld
Before, there was normal Elterngeld, which you could claim either the total monthly amount over the normal claim period or half of the monthly amount over double the claim period. You could also additionally earn up to a certain number of working hours, though the money earned would be subtracted from your Elterngeld.
In our example, the difference between income before and after the birth is calculated (1400 € -560 €). This is then used as the basis for the Elterngeld calculation (65%)
This is now different, as there are now two, even three variations on Elterngeld
- Basic Elterngeld – The ‘normal’ Elterngeld, as it’s always been with no changes..
- ElterngeldPlus without earnings on-top – half of basic Elterngeld over double the time period. Different than previously, not only the duration of the payment of Elterngeld changes but also the period of time during which Elterngeld can be claimed. Without earnings on top, that is less important.
- ElterngeldPlus with earnings on-top – half of basic Elterngeld plus income from part time work over double the time period. In this case, the improvement is very relevant, since families in which one or more parent earns an income from part-time work have more money left than they would have under the old rules.
What does half of the basic Elterngeld mean when claiming ElterngeldPLUS with earnings on-top and what effect does this have on payments?
In our example, despite earning 560€ per month on top of your Elterngeld, with ElterngeldPLUS, you would earn 4368€ more over two years than you would have under the old rules..
To give you an overview of the differences, we have created a comparison for you:
| Basic Elterngeld | ElterngeldPlus |
Amount
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Amount
Without earnings during receipt of Elterngeld:
With earnings on top of Elterngeld payout:
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| Claim Period
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Claim Period
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Calculation Basis
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Calculation Basis
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Also good to know…
That the public health insurance remains as-is during the whole of your Elternzeit
- Compulsory members don’t pay any contributions
- Those covered by family insurance continue to be covered for free
- Those who are self-employed and privately insured must continue to pay their premiums
From 15 months, even whilst ElterngeldPlus is being claimed, Betreuungsgeld (150 Euro) can also be claimed if the child does not attend Kindergarten.
Claiming Elterngeld does not necessarily mean that Elternzeit needs to be taken. This means that those who are self-employed can claim Elterngeld, despite not taking Elternzeit.
Since most employees take Elterngeld along with Elternzeit, they shouldn’t forget to apply for Elternzeit with their employer.
You can claim Elterngeld three months retrospectively, following which you lose your eligibility for that time period.
Pension payments amount to the average yearly earnings of all members for a maximum of 3 years.
Still unclear…
So far, the Bundeselterngeld- and Elternzeit Act specifies that for the months after the birth, additional income must be on average lower than income before birth in order to calculate the total amount of ElterngeldPlus based on income differential (before and after the birth).
It’s not yet clear how earned income impacts on the amount of ElterngeldPlus received. There will probably be a cap but this has not yet been finalized. This is the crux of whether ElterngeldPlus really fulfills the promises made in speeches and presentations of the ministry and whether it is practicable for families in real life.
The bottom line is that parents who work part time over a longer period will receive the same amount of Elterngeld as those who don’t work during this time.
Current Information Regarding Official Offices:
The Elterngeldstellen (the offices that process Elterngeld) will, as far as we could learn, be brought up to date regarding ElterngeldPlus in July (at least that is the status in Berlin). Therefore if you have questions, it will be difficult to get the correct answers until then.
We will of course keep you up to date with all important developments and report in the blog. If you have any questions regarding Elterngeld or ElterngeldPlus, we are happy to advise. Simply write us an email to info@maternita.de.
Here is a final illustration showing once again the graphics in direct comparison:
Photo credits
Main image: evgenyatamanenko
Calculation examples: alphaspirit, oksox
How do they determine if you are calculated as being self employed or not?
Thanks for your comment.
If you are self employed, you need to register as a Gewerbe. If it’s your first year of trading, I assume you would have no tax return stating that you are self-employed and therefore you would need to write a declaration that this is the case, estimate your income over the period in question and then hand in your ‚Steuerbescheid‘ once you have it. You can then either get money back from the Elterngeldstelle or you may have to return some of the money, depending on how your estimates worked out.
Hi. Am still confused. ElterngeldPlus allows part time work. I have a permanent full-time contract. To enter into ElterngeldPlus, do I have to sign a new contract for the period of part-time work I do as part of ElterngeldPlus ?.
For simplicity, let say I have a net income of €3000 per month. I opt for ElterngeldPlus and enter into a 30hours a week contract – Mon(6hrs.), Tue(8hrs.), Wed(8hrs.) and Thur(8hrs.) *OR*, Tue(10hrs.), Wed(10hrs.), Thurs(10hrs.). This means my part-time salary will be €2250. Loss is €750. So ElterngeldPlus = 0.65*750= €487.5
I can expect €2737.5 per month plus an additional €184 (Kindergeld) ?
Also, the ElterngeldPlus amount is not taxable (income tax) and is not used to account for Insurance or any other social contribution ?
My wife is unemployed, but does she have any claim towards Elterngeld or any financial assistance from the government separately ?
Many Thanks!!!!!!
Thanks for your comment.
No, you don’t need to sign a new contract. You are entitled to work part-time during your Elternzeit and once this period is over, you would go back to work full-time as per your contract. Your calculation seems correct. A useful place to calculate your exact income is here: https://www.familien-wegweiser.de/ElterngeldrechnerPlaner
When you claim Elterngeld, you need to do a tax return at the end of the year, despite no tax being charged on Elterngeld. Your Rentenversicherung and Krankenversicherung (if you are on the public insurance system) are covered for you, free of charge (obviously if you’re working reduced hours, this is taken into account).
Your wife should be able to claim the minimum of 300 Euro, depending on her status.
If you would like to find out more about paperwork and Elterngeld /Kindergeld etc, we have a workshop this Sunday in Berlin: https://www.facebook.com/events/1492645311036095/
Or drop us a mail if you would like to have a one to one consultation.
All the best
Lorna
This is so helpful!.Thank you very much. My husband and I have been going mad trying to figure out how to best do this.
I just want to make sure i have this correct. Our second child was born in December last year and my husband and I have already taken a total of four months basic Elterngeld (my monthly total was 1,060; my husband 750).
I have returned to work, working less than twenty hours a week. My monthly income now is 1,113. My husband has also returned to work, at 20-30 hours a week.
Is this monthly calculation correct with regards to my Elterngeld Plus:
50% of basic Elterngeld = 530
Monthly earnings = 1,133
10% sibling bonus = 160
TOTAL PER MONTH = 1,823
Claim period: 24 months
Thanks so much!
I forgot to add, i started a part time new job with a permanent contract this year. My basic Elterngeld amount is based on my previous work as self-employed.
Hi Mihena, thank you for your comment. Your calculation isn’t entirely correct. Have you tried using the Elterngeldrechner? https://www.familien-wegweiser.de/ElterngeldrechnerPlaner
Alternatively, we would be happy to give you a consultation either in person or online!
All the best
Lorna
I would be interested in a consultation. How should we proceed?
Thank you
Apologies for my late response. Please drop me an email to Lorna.Ather at maternita.de
Happy Easter!
Hi,
I , as the father would want to take Elternzeit during the 8th and 9th „lebensmonate“. In this case, the elterngeld is calculated based on my earnings in the last 12 months before the 8th lebensmonate or 12 months before the birth of the child ?
I have not earned complete for 12 months before the birth of the child.
Dear Cetan, The income in the 12 months prior to the birth is the income on which your Elterngeld is based.
I hope that helps. If you would like a personal consultation, please feel free to get in touch!
Lorna
Hello! Thanks for the really useful information. One thing we are confused about is the how the max claim amount affects the amount of Elterngeld you can claim when working full time. If you are claiming for 20 hours (half the usual hours of your full time position) for example, would the amount of Elterngeld be capped at €900 (half of the 1800 usual cap) or would the cap for the part time claim still be 1800? Hope that makes sense. Thanks for your advice
Sorry, I meant when working PART time
Hi Laura, If you take Basis Elterngeld, you would get up to 1800 Euro for 12(14) months. If you take ElterngeldPlus , you would get up to 900 Euro for 24(28) months. If you are working 20 hours, the calculation would be: Amount earned (netto=after tax) on full time salary MINUS amount earned on part time salary (netto=after tax) multiplied by 65%. You can do the more detailed calculation using the Elterngeldrechner here: https://www.familien-wegweiser.de/ElterngeldrechnerPlaner
Happy calculating!
Lorna
Hi,
I’m canadian and my wife is German. We are expecting our first child in july 2017. We have been in Europe since June 2016. I however, didn’t work until Oct 2016 as I was waiting for the proper visa. That means when the baby is born, I will not have 12 months work in total. Am I understanding this correctly that I am not eligible for Eltern Zeit?
Also, my wife isn’t working and hasn’t worked. Does she receive anything? I have read and heard that she gets the minimum which is 300, but I find that hard to believe.
Thanks,
Tim
Hi Tim, Your income from the (10) months before the birth would be divided by 12. You are still eligible for Elternzeit /Elterngeld.
If your wife is allowed to work in Germany then she is entitled to claim the 300 Euro minimum.
If you would like to talk personally about the options, feel free to drop me an email to lorna.ather@maternita.de and we can arrange a consultation.
Lorna
Hello!!
I am receiving elterngeld and will stsrt to work 30h next monday, when my baby will be 7 months old. My doubt is: as i will come back to work on the 20th of the month, i will receive only the proportional of 10 days of work??? Ot worries me as the elterngeld will be already shorter in the first of march and i will receive my salary also 1st of march, but this was not clear, as i had to start working on the „completion of the baby lebensmonat“ that is not in the 1st of the month…
so it would be really a low income – thats what i am afraid.
What will be the total amount?
Hi Cris, You will receive the Elterngeld until the day before the day of the month your baby turns 7 months (if you have claimed it until then) and then the salary pro rated for the month (so in proportion to the number of days you worked) It shouldn’t be too complicated. i.e. Elterngeld til the 20th of the month and then salary from 20th-28th of the month.
Hope this helps!
Hi Santhosh,
Yes, you can apply for Elterngeld even if your child wasn’t born in Germany. If your wife lives in Germany and would be eligible to work, was she not at home with the baby, then she can claim 300 Euro / month until your child is 14 months old.
Hope this helps!
Lorna
Dear Lorna,
Thank you very much for these very helpful comments.
Is it possible that I take 2 years elternzeit and only work in the second one? How would the elterngeld be calculated?
During the time someone is taking elternzeit, the employee is protected from lossing the job, right?
Thank you
Kind regards
Candiago
We offer workshops regarding the Elterngeld (allbeit in Berlin) and individual consultations in person or via Skype/phone. I would be happy to talk you through this in more detail.
Hi Joey, You can split the two months. You don’t need to send in separate applications but you should make sure you tell your employer (in writing) 7 weeks before you want to take your Elternzeit and get a written confirmation of this. This confirmation needs to go to the Elterngeldstelle along with any other supporting documents they require.
If you need any help with the process, we offer skype consultations and would be happy to give you some tips 🙂
Lorna
Hallo!!
Thanks for sharing this!!
Two doubts:
1) in case I separate while receiving elterngeldplus, my tax class will change from 5 to 2? (Nowadays I am 5 and husband 3). Or during this time it doesn’t change? Only after finish the elterngeld? He wants us to change so he can receive a bit more, but for me changing from 5 to 2 would mean more than 500 shorter…
2) if I declare taxes next year, due to be receiving elterngeldplus for one year, I will need to pay taxes back?
Hi Cristina,
Unfortunately we are not able to give specific advice regarding taxes. We recommend that you speak to a qualified tax accountant in order to address these questions.
All the best!
Lorna
Hallo.
Our kid was born 1 of September.
I’m working full time and my wife doesn’t work.
We were thinking that I will work and my wife will take care about our son.
So we applied for Elterngeld in November with claiming that we want only elterngeld fo my wife 300 euros per month. Then approved an application. We got money for 5 months already.
Hovewer now we change our mind and I want to get Elternzeit for 1 year.
Ideally speaking we want to split Elterngelt and get 7 months per 300 (for my wife) and 7 monnths per 1800 (for me 67% from my salary).
Is it possible to reapply for Elterngeld in our case?
Thanks
Hi, Thanks for the article. If I take the basic elterngeld is there any small amount of work I can do at this time?
Yes, you can work up to 30 hours/ week average, whether taking Basis or Plus.
Hello,
I took 12 months Elterngeld and my husband 2. However, now I am thinking to start working part-time (after 7 months from the baby birth). My questions are:
1. Can I work 3 days a week and continue receiving Elterngeld? (after 12 months I would go back to full time)
2. Will my husband be entitled for both 2 months Elternzeit even though I start part time?
Thanks!