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Request help for care

If you are in need of care and cannot cover the costs of care yourself, not even with the help of the long-term care insurance, you are entitled to "help with care".

You are eligible for long-term care assistance if you are financially needy,

  • if you are not insured under the social long-term care insurance (statutory or private),
  • if your need for long-term care is not expected to last for at least six months and you do not receive long-term care insurance benefits for this reason, or
  • if the benefits of the long-term care insurance, which are limited in amount, are not sufficient.

Assistance with care includes, for example:

  • home care
  • Care aids
  • Care allowance
  • part-time inpatient care
  • Short-term care
  • Measures to improve the living environment
  • inpatient care (for example in nursing homes)
  • digital care applications

Prerequisite

  • You are in need of care at care level 2 or higher. With care degree 1, you may be entitled to care aids, measures to improve the living environment or digital care applications; in addition - if all requirements are met - a relief amount of 125 euros is paid.
  • Your income and assets and those of your dependants (e.g. a spouse or partner who does not live separately) are not sufficient to cover the costs of care.
  • Benefits from long-term care insurance
    • you are not entitled to or
    • you are entitled to, but they are not sufficient.

Responsible department

  • for determining the need for long-term care for insured persons in the statutory or private long-term care insurance: the competent long-term care insurance fund. This is usually your health insurance fund
  • for the application for assistance for long-term care: the social welfare office responsible for your place of residence

Procedure

If you are insured in the statutory or private long-term care insurance, first contact them to clarify which long-term care insurance benefits you are entitled to. Only if these benefits are not sufficient or if you are not entitled to any benefits at all, you can apply for assistance for long-term care at your competent social welfare office.

You must apply for long-term care assistance in writing to your social welfare office. Use the form provided for this purpose, which you can obtain from your competent social welfare office.

If you do not have long-term care insurance, the Social Welfare Office will arrange for the Health Department or another suitable agency to determine whether you are in need of long-term care. On the basis of your information and documents, the Social Welfare Office will examine your personal and financial circumstances.

Deadlines

There are no time limits.

Note: You will not receive assistance for care in the past, but only when the social welfare agency is aware of your need. Therefore, contact your social welfare office as early as possible by telephone, in person or in writing.

Required documents

Depending on the individual case, different proofs and documents are required, for example:

  • Identity card or passport of the applicant
  • Proof of income at the time of application
  • Proof of existing assets (e.g. savings books)
  • Proof of expenses (e.g. rental costs)
  • Notices/classifications from the long-term care insurance fund

Note: In your personal appointment with your social welfare office, you should clarify which documents you need to submit in your specific case.

Costs

none

Miscellaneous

none

Appeal

Opposition

Release note

18.10.2023 Sozialministerium Baden-Württemberg