Care allowance NRW

The care allowance is paid directly to the care facility and is usually transferred monthly.

The calculation of the care allowance in North Rhine-Westphalia is based on various factors, in particular the income and assets of the person in need of care as well as the investment costs of the care facility and other benefits such as Care assistance.

If the costs for the care facility are higher than your income and assets, then part of the costs for the care facility can be paid with care home allowance.

Important:
Under certain circumstances, care home allowance can be paid retroactively for up to 3 months. If the requirements were met at that time, the long-term care allowance can be paid up to 3 months before the date of application.

Simplified calculation example:

Suppose a person lives in a care facility with monthly costs of €2000. This person receives a monthly pension of 1100 euros and a total of 770 euros from long-term care insurance.

The calculation would then be as follows:

Total costs of the care facility: €2000

Deduct care insurance benefit: -770 euros

Remaining costs for the person in need of care: 1230 euros

Since the pension (1100 euros) is less than the remaining costs (1230 euros), it is possible to apply for care home allowance.

Please note that this example is simplified. In reality, additional factors, such as allowances, are included in the calculation.

Own assets and income play an important role in the calculation and granting of care home allowance in North Rhine-Westphalia. As a general rule, the higher the income and assets, the lower the amount of care home allowance can be, up to and including a complete rejection of the application.

Income: All regular income such as pension, retirement or employment income is taken into account when calculating the care home allowance. After deducting a fixed amount equal to the current clothing allowance and for personal expenses, the so-called "cash amount" or "pocket money", and a further deductible of up to 50 euros, the remaining income is considered to cover the investment costs of the care facility. If the adjusted income is higher than the investment costs, no care home allowance will be granted in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Assets: Assets include cash and account balances as well as tangible assets such as real estate, life insurance policies or securities. However, there is a certain allowance that is taken into account when applying. For individuals, this is 10,000 euros and for cohabiting couples 15,000 euros. If the assets exceed this allowance, the care home allowance may be rejected or reduced.

Income and assets are taken into account individually and in context for the amount of the care home allowance. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the individual case is always considered and the individual situation of the person in need of care is taken into account.

The entitlement to care allowance and the eligibility to receive it depend on the care level to which the person in need of care is classified. In Germany, there are five care levels that reflect a person's degree of independence and need for support.

In order to apply for care allowance in North Rhine-Westphalia, the person concerned must be classified in at least care grade 2 or have a provisional care grade assignment. This means that there is a significant impairment of independence or abilities. Care levels 3 to 5 stand for more severe and most severe impairments of independence.

The care facility can submit the application on behalf of and with the consent of the person in need of care and is available as an advisor. Changes can also be reported by the care facility, for example in the event of changes to the level of care or changes to income or assets.

The decisive factor for entitlement to a care home allowance is that the care facility is one of the facilities recognized by the state and meets the relevant criteria.

Care assistance and residential care allowance are two different financial support benefits that serve to cover the costs of care.

Care assistance is a support benefit that provides financial support to people in need of care to help them cover the costs of care services, accommodation, meals and the facility's own contributions. It is generally available to people with at least care level 1.

The residential care allowance, a specific benefit in North Rhine-Westphalia, offers financial support for people with at least care level 2 who live in fully inpatient care facilities and require assistance with investment costs. Investment costs are incurred for the maintenance and modernization of the care facility.

Taken together, Care assistance and residential care allowance provide financial support that can help to cover the full range of costs incurred when living in a care facility.

Here you can find more information on Care assistance.
Here you can apply for Care assistance.

Important: If you have already submitted an application for Care assistance, basic income support in old age or Cost-of-living assistance, you have the option of using a shortened application for residential care allowance. This simplifies the process and saves time. Even if you do not receive any of these benefits, you can still apply for care allowance.

No, the application for residential care allowance does not necessarily have to be made by the person in need of care themselves. In addition to the person in need of care themselves, there are other persons who can submit the application:

1. a court-appointed guardian for the person in need of care.

2. an authorized representative on the basis of a health care proxy or general power of attorney for a represented person.

3. a representative of the care facility for the person making the application.

It is helpful if the care facility where the person in need of care is accommodated can submit the application on the person's behalf. This is important if the person in need of care has difficulties making the application themselves due to their care situation.

If someone else is making the application, the relevant powers of attorney or evidence must be available to prove that they are authorized to make the application.

In the case of residential care allowance, investment costs refer to the costs incurred in the care facility for infrastructure and equipment. These can include, for example, costs for the construction, maintenance and modernization of the facility or for the purchase and maintenance of furniture and technical equipment. The aim of such investments is to provide the residents of the facility with an appropriate living environment and high-quality care.

The amount of the residential care allowance is based on the difference between the actual investment costs of the care facility and the financial means of the person in need of care. If there is a negative amount after deducting all other costs, this amount corresponds to the care allowance requirement.