Elterngeld reform draft: 12 instead of 14 months

Updated:
07.10.2026

In early July a draft Elterngeld reform prepared by the family ministry reached the press. The gist: shorten the maximum benefit period and tie it to the involvement of both parents. Officially the draft has been confirmed only as a document that went into interministerial coordination (Ressortabstimmung): the Kabinett has not approved it, and it has not been introduced in parliament. We sort out what is fact here and what is so far only press reporting.

What has been officially confirmed

On 7 July 2026, at the government press conference, a ministry spokesperson confirmed: “Der Gesetzentwurf ist gestern am späten Nachmittag in die Ressortabstimmung gegangen” — and added that changes to it are still possible. That is the only officially confirmed stage. The title of the bill has not been officially published.

An indirect but telling fact: in the draft federal budget for 2027, introduced on 14 August 2026, Elterngeld is described under current law — up to 12 months of basic payment, up to 14 when the partner months are used, a minimum of 300 € and a maximum of 1.800 € per month. The budget figures for this item fall from 7.51 billion € in 2026 to 7.07 billion € in 2027.

What is known only from press reports

This is a leaked draft, not a government decision. The Kabinett has not considered the document and it has not been introduced in the Bundestag

Cutting the maximum benefit period from 14 to 12 months
A condition: each partner takes at least 3 months, the remaining six are allocated flexibly
The minimum payment from 300 € to 330 €, the maximum from 1.800 € to 1.900 €
An exemption from the three-month rule for single parents
Savings of around 500 million € next year

Not one of these points is confirmed by an official document. The ministry spokesperson confirmed only that the draft provides for higher rates, without giving figures. Until the draft has cleared interministerial coordination, the specific amounts and conditions may change — this is not a caveat added for caution, it is literally what the ministry said.

Find out more — private pension options.

Explore private pension options

More details

What really matters here

Three “father months” sound progressive, but they do not solve the structural problems. In many families the man earns more, so a long leave means bigger financial losses for him. And for women the other problem remains — lower incomes, career breaks and part-time work. The gap in old-age income between men and women, according to Destatis data for 2025, is 36,0 % for own income and 24,2 % when survivor benefits are included.

And this is not the first cut in a row. The taxable income threshold above which entitlement to Elterngeld lapses has already been lowered twice: for children born from 1 April 2024, to €200,000, and from 1 April 2025, to €175,000 (§ 1 Abs. 8 and § 28 Abs. 5 BEEG).

What you can do yourself

You can be outraged by the new rules for a long time, but for an individual family that changes little. The workable answer to the pension gap is not to wait for a reform but to close it yourself: a private pension plan in the name of the lower-earning spouse compensates for exactly those years that the state system credits worst.

From 2027 the Altersvorsorgedepot (retirement investment account) will be added to this — a new instrument we write about separately. We select and arrange pension and insurance products; what a contribution in your partner’s name would yield in your situation can be calculated right now.

Will changes like these help in practice?

Write a comment

Frequently asked questions

Has Elterngeld already been cut?

No. As of 20 August 2026 this is a ministry draft in interministerial coordination. The Kabinett has not approved it, it has not been introduced in the Bundestag, and the previous rules apply: up to 12 months of basic payment and up to 14 with the partner months, from 300 € to 1.800 € per month.

Is it true that the payments will rise to 330 and 1.900 euros?

The ministry confirmed only the intention to raise the rates; specific amounts have not been named officially. The figures of 330 € and 1.900 € come from press reports about the content of the draft.

At what income does entitlement to Elterngeld disappear?

For children born from 1 April 2025 the threshold is €175,000 of taxable income — the same for single parents and for couples, and for couples the combined income of both is counted. For children born between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 the threshold of €200,000 applies.