Advance on maintenance

The maintenance advance is a state benefit for children of single parents if the parent who is liable to pay maintenance does not fulfil their maintenance obligation, or does not fulfil it regularly or in full.

The following requirements apply in order to be able to apply for advance maintenance payments:

• Your child is resident or ordinarily resident in Germany
• You and the child must live in the same household
• the parent with whom the child lives is single, widowed or divorced or lives permanently separated from his/her spouse or partner
• the other parent pays no, only partial or irregular maintenance
• For children aged 12 and over, the following conditions must also be met:
  • Your child does not receive a citizen's allowance
  • Advance maintenance payments can prevent your child from needing assistance
  • You have a gross monthly income of at least € 600.00

There is no entitlement to advance maintenance payments if the single parent

• is married,
• lives unmarried with the other parent of the child,
• refuses to co-operate in establishing paternity or the whereabouts of the other parent,
• refuses to provide information about the parent liable to pay,
• if maintenance is paid by the parent liable for maintenance in at least the amount of the maintenance advance payment applicable in the age bracket.

From 1 January 2026, Article 1 of the Seventh Ordinance Amending the Minimum Maintenance Ordinance of 21 November 2024 (Federal Law Gazette 2024, Part I, No. 359) will change the minimum maintenance for minor children in accordance with Section 1612a (1) of the Civil Code (BGB). The change to child benefit under the Federal Child Benefit Act was published in the Federal Law Gazette on 30 December 2024 (Federal Law Gazette 2024 Part I No. 449).

Due to the increase in the minimum maintenance amount and the increase in child benefit, the amount of the maintenance advance payment in the respective age bracket will change from 1 January 2026. This will result in the following payment amounts:

In the case of children who no longer attend a general school, the maintenance advance payment is reduced not only by maintenance and orphan's benefits, but also by other income (training allowance, earned income, other property income).

The application for benefits under the Advance Maintenance Payments Act (UVG) must be made in writing. It must be signed by hand and submitted by post. Electronic transmission (e.g. by email or fax) does not satisfy the legal formal requirements. The application is only considered to have been submitted once it has been received by the Salzlandkreis district authority.
The advance maintenance payment can be granted retroactively for one month if the requirements were already met at that time.

The following documents must be submitted with the application:

• Birth or parentage certificate of the child
• Deed/judgement/decree on paternity acknowledgement or establishment
• Original of the enforceable copy of the current maintenance title (maintenance certificate, acknowledgement of paternity, judgement, court settlement, etc.)
• Current registration certificate/household certificate from the residents' registration office for you and the child
• Correspondence from lawyers regarding maintenance/custody/right of residence/separation/divorce
• Last notification from the previously responsible maintenance advance fund (in case of relocation)
• Change of name certificate
• Residence permit of the child or single parent for children with foreign or no nationality
• Copy of the child's training contract/BAföG/BAB
• a school certificate from the age of 15 or proof of income from the end of school attendance
• From the age of 12 and if the child is in receipt of ALG II: current ALG II notification of the applicant
• Proof of income:
  • Child benefit
  • Half-orphan's pension, if applicable
  • Maintenance payments, if applicable

The parent with whom the child lives and the legal representative of the beneficiary are obliged to notify the maintenance agency immediately of any changes that are relevant to the benefit.

You are welcome to use the relevant forms for this purpose:

A, I

B, D, F

J

C

M, R, L

G, H, N

P, T, V, W, X, Y, Z

E, K, O, Q, U

S

A, B, C, D

E, N, O, P, Q, S

F, G, H, I

J, K, L, M

R, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

A, B, H

U, Z

E, I, K, L, O, Q, T

C, D, F, J, S

G, R, W

M, N, P, V, X, Y