If you care for someone at home, you are entitled every month to an amount that many families only find out about years later. It is called the relief amount (Entlastungsbetrag), and it is meant precisely to take some of the load off you. Here you can read what lies behind it — and why the money still goes unused in so many households.
What the relief amount is
People in need of care who are cared for at home are entitled to a relief amount of up to €131 a month. This is set out in Section 45b of Book XI of the Social Code (SGB XI).
The money is earmarked for a specific purpose. It is meant to do two things: relieve family carers, and support the independence of the person in need of care in everyday life. So you cannot spend it freely in the way you can the care allowance (Pflegegeld) — but the scope is wider than most people assume.
What matters is that care takes place in the home. Anyone who lives permanently in a care home does not have this entitlement.
What you may use the money for
The law names four areas for which costs are reimbursed to you from the relief amount:
- day or night care services
- short-term care (Kurzzeitpflege) services
- services from home care services under Section 36
- services recognised under state law that offer support in everyday life under Section 45a — such as companionship and supervision services, everyday assistance or household help
A restriction that is often overlooked
An exception applies to home care services: in care levels 2 to 5, you may not use the relief amount for services in the area of self-care. This means personal care — washing, dressing, help with eating.
This restriction does not apply to care level 1. So if you have only just been granted care level 1, you have more room for manoeuvre here than many people think.
In practice, for care levels 2 to 5, this means: the relief amount is well suited to supervision, companionship and housekeeping — less so to personal care alone. If in doubt, ask your care insurance fund before you commission anything.
You do not need to apply for it
This is the point where most people get stuck. The entitlement to the relief amount arises as soon as the requirements are met — without you having to submit an application first. There is no form you need to wait for.
What you do have to do, however, is pay the costs yourself first and then have them reimbursed. You submit receipts for the costs you have paid yourself to your care insurance fund, or to your private insurance company.
The receipts must make it clear which of the four types of service listed above the expense belongs to. A receipt without this information leads to queries and costs you weeks. Ask the service provider straight away to note this on the invoice.
What happens if you don't use up the amount
The relief amount can be used within the calendar year in question. If something is left over at the end of the year, it does not expire immediately: the unused amount can be carried over into the following half-year.
So you have a period of grace — but not an unlimited one. If you claim nothing for years, you really do lose the money. That is exactly what happens in a great many households, simply because nobody told them about it.
It is therefore worth checking once a year how much you have claimed. And if, until now, all the relief has come from your own strength alone: this is the amount that exists so that it does not have to stay that way.
And if there is no care level yet
The relief amount requires a care level. If you don't have one yet, that is the first step — and you can apply informally.
For first applications, upgrades and appeals, we take care of the paperwork, the communication with your care insurance fund and the preparation for the assessment. This is free of charge for you as an insured person. Give us a call if you are unsure where to start.
Frequently asked questions
Is the €131 simply paid into my account?
Do I have to apply for the relief amount?
Does the money expire if I don't use it in a given month?
Can I use it to pay the home care service for personal care?
Source: Relief amount: what the €131 a month may be used for. This article reflects the situation as of 21.10.2026 and does not replace individual advice; the information from your care insurance fund is what counts.