Child surcharge

Kinderzuschlag (KiZ) — Kindergeld supplement for low-income families in Germany

What is it?
The Kinderzuschlag (abbreviated as KiZ) is a monthly supplement to the regular child benefit (Kindergeld) for families who are working but whose income is still not enough to provide for their children adequately.
Your income must be sufficient to cover your own basic needs, but not enough to fully support your children. Essentially, KiZ was designed to prevent working families with children from having to rely on social welfare benefits (Bürgergeld).

What are the amounts?
In both 2025 and 2026, the maximum amount is €297 per month per child. This amount already includes the so-called "immediate supplement" (Sofortzuschlag) of €25. No further increase is expected for 2026.

Who is eligible?
You are entitled to the supplement only if all of the following conditions are met :

You receive regular Kindergeld for the child (or children)
The child is under 25 years old, lives with you, is not married and not in a registered civil partnership

Income requirements:
1 Minimum income threshold (Mindesteinkommensgrenze) - You must be working and earning at least:

€600 gross per month for single parents (Alleinerziehende)
€900 gross per month for couples

The average earnings from the last six months are considered, and only income from employment counts

2 Maximum income threshold - Your own income must be sufficient to cover your basic needs (subsistence level plus housing costs plus additional needs). However, it must not be sufficient to cover the child's needs

3 Main condition: The family must not be considered "in need of assistance" according to social welfare rules. This means that after receiving KiZ and possibly Wohngeld, you must still not be eligible for Bürgergeld

4 Assets (Vermögen): Your savings must not be "excessive". The limits are:

€55,000 for a family of two
Plus €15,000 for each additional family member

For foreign nationals: You are fully entitled to KiZ if you already receive regular Kindergeld. If Kindergeld is paid, you can also apply for the supplement.

Who will definitely not receive it:

Those already receiving Bürgergeld, Sozialhilfe, or AsylbLG during the relevant period
Those with income that is too high (the calculation will simply result in zero)
Those whose savings exceed the asset limits
Those whose child has turned 25, gotten married, or has children of their own

How much do you receive?
The calculation is done individually, but there is a clear maximum:

Parameter	Amount in 2026	Important Notes
Maximum per child	€297 per month	This already includes the Sofortzuschlag (immediate supplement) of €25. No separate application is needed for it
If you have several children	€297 × number of children	However, this does not mean you simply multiply and get the total. The amount may be reduced if the family income is too high. Each child is calculated separately
Duration of payment	6 months	One approved application covers this period. After that, it ends and you must submit a new application
Reduction of the supplement	–45% of excess income	If the parents' income exceeds the allowable limit, each extra euro reduces KiZ by 45 cents. The same applies to the child's own income (e.g., if they have a part-time job)

Deadlines
The rules here are stricter than for parental allowance. No retroactive payments – you will only receive it from the month of application.

When entitlement begins: From the month in which you submitted the application. If you apply in March, you receive it from March. No back payments for past months.
How long it is paid: 6 months at a time. Then it ends.
When to renew: Ideally 2–3 months before the end of the period. Being timely is important to avoid interruptions in payments.
If you disagree with the decision: You can file an objection within 1 month.
When payments arrive: Usually together with Kindergeld, in the first few days of the month. Payment dates are determined by the last digit of your child benefit number.

Typical mistakes

Falling short of the minimum income threshold (Mindesteinkommensgrenze): If you earn less than €600 (single) or €900 (couple) gross per month – automatic rejection.
Incorrectly calculating the housing cost share (Wohnkosten-Anteil): Many estimate this rather than using the official tables. The share of housing costs for parents with 2 children is 71% for couples and 63% for single parents.
Forgetting to report changes: Income increase, moving, marriage/divorce – all must be reported. Otherwise, you may receive a demand to repay the money (Rückforderung)
Not accounting for other priority benefits: If the child is entitled to maintenance advance (Unterhaltsvorschuss) or BAföG, these come first. KiZ is only additional if these still leave you short.
Applying without proof of Kindergeld entitlement: KiZ without Kindergeld does not exist. If you haven't applied for regular child benefit yet, do that first.
Not calculating assets (Vermögen): The limits are €55,000 for two people plus €15,000 for each additional family member. If you have more than that, the supplement is not granted
Not applying for BuT: If you are approved for KiZ, you are automatically entitled to additional benefits for education and participation (Bildung und Teilhabe): school meals, excursions, sports, tutoring. However, you often have to apply for this separately – it does not come automatically.

How to apply – Step-by-Step

Step 1: Check if you are eligible
Use the KiZ-Lotse (interactive eligibility checker) on the Familienkasse website at familienkasse.de. You can also check the calculator provided by the Federal Employment Agency.

Step 2: Gather your documents
The following documents are typically required:

Proof of Kindergeld entitlement (Kindergeld-Bescheid) or confirmation that you have applied for it
Proof of income for the last 6 months: payslips (Lohnbescheinigungen), tax return (Steuerbescheid), or ALG I notification if applicable
Rental contract (Mietvertrag) + utility bills (Nebenkostenabrechnung) – you need the total "warm" rent
Proof of registration for all family members (Meldebescheinigung)
If applicable: proof of additional needs (e.g., single parent certificate, disability certificate)
For foreign nationals: residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel)

Step 3: Submit your application
Online: Go to familienkasse.de → eServices → Kinderzuschlag. You will need a Bund-ID.
By post or in person: Submit the form "Antrag auf Kinderzuschlag" (KG 1-KiZ) along with the separate annex "Anlage KiZ" for each child to your local Familienkasse. You can find your local Familienkasse at arbeitsagentur.de.
Free of charge.

Step 4: Wait for the decision
Processing usually takes 4–12 weeks. Good news: even if the decision arrives after several months, payments will be backdated to the month of application.

Step 5: Receive payments
If approved, the money will automatically be paid together with your Kindergeld. You do not need to take any further action.

Step 6: If your application is rejected, you received too little, or they demand money back
Do not delay. You have 1 month from receipt of the decision to file a Widerspruch (objection).

If the government agency requests additional documents

When you have submitted your application and the Jobcenter has already partially reviewed it, they may request additional documents. A serious mistake is to simply forward the requested documents without a cover letter.
In such cases, the officials at the Jobcenter do not understand which case the documents belong to, cannot link them to a specific file number, consider the deadline not met, and issue a rejection stating „Unterlagen nicht fristgerecht eingereicht“

How to Submit Additional Documents Correctly
When submitting additional documents, you must include a cover letter (Begleitschreiben).
Cover letter pdf word.doc
This ensures that your documents are correctly assigned to your case and that the deadline is met.

If your payment was rejected or too low, file an appeal.

Deadline: 1 month from receipt of the notification (1 year if no instructions were provided). Use our appeal template.

30–40% of appeals are successful.