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Social benefits

Apply for long-term care assistance

A social assistance benefit that covers long-term care costs when long-term care insurance benefits and the individual's own income and assets are insufficient.

Wo wohnen Sie?

Damit wir Apply for long-term care assistance mit dem zuständigen Sozialamt in Ihrer Stadt anzeigen können.

Oder Großstadt wählen:

Sie werden zur geführten Suche weitergeleitet – mit Kontaktdaten, Termin und nächsten Schritten für Apply for long-term care assistance.

Processing: approx. 1 monthsSuccess rate: 85.0 %
Last reviewed: August 03, 2026

Quick answer

  1. 1

    Documents you need

    Care Level Determination · Residential Contract / Cost Breakdown · Financial Disclosure

  2. 2

    Responsible authority

    The authority of your main residence

  3. 3

    How to do it

    In person or by post at the office

  4. 4

    Costs

    Kostenlos – keine Gebühr für den Antrag

Find the responsible authority

How to proceed

  1. 1

    Ensure the care level

    To qualify for long-term care assistance, you must have a recognized care level.

  2. 2

    Submit an application to the Social Services Office

    Along with a home care contract or documentation of home care costs, as well as proof of income and assets.

  3. 3

    Decision and Coverage of Costs

    The Social Services Office covers the difference between the cost of care and the individual's own resources.

Responsible authority

The authority of your main place of residence is responsible.Find authority →

The essentials before applying

Who is eligible?

People in need of care whose care costs (e.g., in a nursing home) are not covered by long-term care insurance and their own funds.

Income limit

Use of income exceeding the social assistance income limits and assets exceeding the exempt asset threshold (€10,000).

Processing time

Nationwide: approx. approx. 1 months

Success rate

approx. 85.0 % (estimate)

Most common mistakes

  • The home contract and cost breakdown are missing
  • Incomplete financial disclosure

Common reasons for rejection

  • Assets in excess of the exemption amount have not yet been exhausted
  • Care level is missing or insufficient

Alternatives

  • Check related services in the application assistant
  • Use social counselling before applying

If rejected

File a written objection within 30 days – with reasons why the decision is wrong and any missing evidence.

Related services

Questions & Answers

Do I need to sell my house?

A reasonably sized home that the owner lives in is generally considered exempt property while the owner resides there, but may become relevant if the owner remains in a nursing home on a long-term basis.

Freshness & source

Maintenance
Continuously reviewed & updated
Source
Bundesportal (verwaltung.bund.de)
Data quality
100 %

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