German Care Reform 2026: All Changes to Care Allowance, Relief Benefits and Home Care

Care in Germany is changing — and 2026 brings several important updates. Since January, the BEEP Act has given nursing professionals more authority while reducing bureaucracy. At the same time, care allowance amounts remain at 2025 levels, while a major structural reform is planned for late 2026. Whether you care for family members or are looking for professional support, you should know about the current changes. This article gives you a complete overview of everything that's changing in 2026 regarding care allowance, relief benefits and home care.

Care Allowance 2026: All Amounts by Care Level

The care allowance (Pflegegeld) is the most important financial benefit for people cared for at home by family members or acquaintances. After an increase of around 4.5 percent on January 1, 2025, the amounts remain unchanged in 2026. The next regular adjustment is legally scheduled for 2028.

Care Level	Care Allowance (monthly)	Care Services (monthly)
Care Level 1	no entitlement	no entitlement
Care Level 2	€347	€796
Care Level 3	€599	€1,497
Care Level 4	€800	€1,859
Care Level 5	€990	€2,299

The care allowance is freely available to you — you don't need to prove what you spend it on. Care services (Pflegesachleistungen) work differently: they're billed directly between the outpatient care service and the care insurance fund. Important to know: you can combine care allowance and care services. For example, if you only use 60 percent of the care services, you still receive 40 percent of the care allowance.

Tip: Even with Care Level 1, you're entitled to the relief benefit of €131 per month — even though no care allowance is paid.

The BEEP Act: More Authority, Less Bureaucracy

The Act on Authority Expansion and Debureaucratization in Nursing — known as BEEP — has been in effect since January 1, 2026. It introduces four key changes designed to noticeably improve daily care:

1. Nurses can do more — The new § 15a SGB V allows qualified nurses to independently perform certain services previously reserved for doctors. This particularly affects wound care, diabetes treatment and dementia care. For you as a family member, this means faster help on-site without waiting for a doctor's appointment.

2. Fewer mandatory advisory visits — Care recipients with Care Level 4 or 5 who exclusively receive care allowance now only need to document advisory visits twice per year. Previously, four appointments were required. This significantly reduces the organizational burden.

3. Shorter billing deadline for respite care — From 2026, respite care services can only be billed for the current and immediately preceding calendar year. Previously, a four-year deadline applied. If you used respite care in 2025, you must submit for reimbursement by the end of 2026.

4. Prevention services at home — Care insurance funds are to increasingly offer prevention services in home care to prevent or slow the progression of care dependency.

The Relief Benefit: Using €131 Monthly Wisely

All care recipients with Care Level 1 to 5 who are cared for at home are entitled to the relief benefit of €131 per month. This amount remains unchanged in 2026 and is earmarked — you can't spend it freely like the care allowance.

What you can use the relief benefit for:

• Recognized daily helpers and care services
• Day and night care (co-payments)
• Short-term care (co-payments)
• Domestic support through outpatient care services
• Support services in daily living under state law

How billing works: You pay for the service yourself first and submit the receipt to your care insurance fund. They reimburse the amount up to the relief benefit — provided the provider is approved under state law. Unused amounts carry over to subsequent months and can be claimed until June 30 of the following year.

On Helpful Folks you can find daily helpers and care services near you that can be billed through the relief benefit.

Respite Care and Short-Term Care: The Combined Budget

Since July 1, 2025, there's been an important simplification: the previously separate budgets for respite care and short-term care have been merged into a combined annual amount of €3,539. This applies to all care recipients from Care Level 2.

What this means for you:

• You can divide the €3,539 flexibly — more for respite care, more for short-term care, or all for one of the two
• The previous restriction that only part of the short-term care budget could be transferred to respite care has been eliminated
• During respite care, the care allowance continues to be paid at half rate — for up to six weeks per year

Respite care kicks in when you as a family caregiver are temporarily unavailable — whether due to illness, vacation or simply a much-needed break. During this time, a substitute caregiver takes over. This can be a professional service, but also a neighbor or friend.

Important: Remember the new billing deadline under the BEEP Act. Respite care from 2025 must be billed by the end of 2026 — after that, the entitlement expires.

Digital Care Applications: The New €40 Subsidy

One of the most exciting innovations for 2026 is digital care applications, or DiPA. The care insurance now covers up to €40 monthly for approved care apps — plus an additional €30 for accompanying support services through an outpatient care service.

What DiPA are designed to do:

• Support care recipients in managing daily life
• Relieve family caregivers in their care routines
• Improve communication between care recipients, family members and care services
• Monitor health data and provide medication reminders

Current status: The BEEP Act has significantly simplified the approval process for DiPA. However, no DiPA have been officially approved and available yet. The first applications are expected during the course of 2026. Once available, you can use them via smartphone, tablet or browser.

Eligibility extends to all care recipients with Care Level 1 to 5 who receive home care benefits. Particularly important: relieving family caregivers is also recognized as a care benefit — DiPA may therefore be specifically developed for you as a caring person.

The Future Pact for Care: What's Still to Come

Beyond the changes already in effect, federal and state governments are working on a comprehensive structural reform of care insurance. The so-called Future Pact for Care was presented in December 2025 and is intended to result in reform legislation by the end of 2026.

The key points:

• Financing — In February 2026, federal and state governments will discuss financing models. Options include a higher contribution assessment ceiling, financial equalization between statutory and private care insurance, and tax relief for family caregivers
• Capping out-of-pocket costs — Two models are being discussed: annual benefit increases or a deductible model with fixed out-of-pocket costs of approximately €1,000 to €1,200 in inpatient care
• Strengthening prevention — Care should become more preventive to delay the onset of care dependency
• Advancing digitalization — A digitally networked care system with less bureaucracy

For you as a family caregiver, this means: current benefits will remain unchanged at least until the end of 2026. Depending on how quickly the major reform progresses, the rules could fundamentally change from 2027 onward — hopefully for the better.

Checklist: Getting the Most from Care Benefits in 2026

• Review your care level — Does the current care level still fit? If the condition has worsened, an upgrade application to the care insurance fund is worthwhile
• Use the relief benefit — €131 per month that otherwise expires. Find an approved provider for daily help or care
• Plan respite care — €3,539 combined budget for substitute and short-term care. Apply in time and observe the new billing deadline
• Attend advisory sessions — Reduced to twice yearly for CL 4/5, but still important for current information
• Watch for DiPA — Once the first apps are approved, use up to €70 monthly in subsidies
• Check combination benefits — Cleverly combine care allowance and care services to get the optimum
• Claim tax benefits — Deduct care costs as household services or extraordinary expenses

Read our article on which care and support costs you can deduct from your taxes.

Conclusion

2026 is a transitional year for care: the BEEP Act brings tangible improvements in daily life — more authority for nurses, less bureaucracy and the combined budget for respite and short-term care. Care allowance amounts remain stable, and the upcoming digital care applications open up new support possibilities. The major structural reform is still pending but should be set in motion by the end of 2026. Anyone caring for family members should consistently use all available benefits now. On Helpful Folks you can find daily helpers, care services and nursing support near you — tailored to your needs. Register for free now and find the right support.