Social benefits for people in need of care

There are many social benefits for those in need of care, such as cash benefits and everyday support. How can I make sense of the available options?

The complex interaction of nursing care insurance, health insurance, social welfare office and other institutions can be complicated for people in need of care or their relatives. We provide orientation and consider your very individual circumstances.

Assistance for nursing care

What happens if the nursing care insurance benefits are lower than the actual care costs? Even if the income and assets of the person requiring care and of the spouse are insufficient, you can request assistance from the –˜Hilfe zur Pflege–™ (help for care) group of the social welfare authorities. The application can be submitted to the social welfare office of your district office. The –˜Hilfe zur Pflege–™ group can also be used for outpatient care at home as well as for partial of full inpatient care at the nursing home.

Maintenance obligation of children

Once the welfare office assumes the care costs, it also examines whether the children of the person in need of care can participate. Would the children have to sell their flat to afford the care? Has the income of the daughter/son-in-law been taken into account? We will brief you on the maintenance obligation and the impact on the relatives of those in need of care.

Support in everyday life

We would be happy to provide you with an overview of social benefits that simplify daily life for those in need of care, such as mobility and transport services. They help people in need of care maintain contact with the outside world.
We also offer detailed information about the special rights and benefits to which severely disabled people are entitled, such as the discounted use of public transportation, tax advantages or an exemption from broadcasting fees. You can apply for a disabled person–™s pass at the Office for Public Support. Do not hesitate to get in touch to find out about the requirements.

19 – Emergency Call System

If you are afraid that you won–™t be able to get help after a fall or an accident in your home, installing an emergency call system can be a good solution. Which home emergency call systems are available?  

Read more Fact sheet no. 19 (213 KB)
20 – Mobility Assistance

For the elderly, the ill or handicapped, it is often difficult for them to leave their home. People who live alone may therefore feel isolated and lonely. Various options exist that can help people in these situations stay mobile, keep...

Read more Fact sheet no. 20 (313 KB)
21 – Special Transport Service Berlin

People with disabilities who are not physically able to use public transportation or “normal taxicabs” and/or whose place of residence/arrival has obstacles, can avail themselves of Berlin–™s Special Transport Service (SonderFahrDienst, SFD). The transport service is calles “Wirmobil” and is...

Read more Fact sheet no. 21 (507 KB)
26 – Basic subsistence income for the elderly and for persons with reduced earning capacity

Basic subsistence income is a benefit under the Social Security Code (SBG) XII for the elderly and permanently fully disabled persons who cannot afford their daily necessities from their income and personal assets.    

Read more Fact sheet no. 26 (191 KB)
27 – Consultation and aid in case of impaired memory in old age

Increasingly more people suffer from impaired memory and orientation at higher age. These impairments may have very different causes. Increased attention must be paid if an individual can no longer manage their everyday life due to difficulties with memory and...

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28 – State Care Benefits Act

High-grade visually impaired, blind and deaf individuals have a claim to compensation in the federal state of Berlin according to the State Care Benefits Act (LPflGG) for personal expenses due to the impairment. These benefits are not social services benefits....

Read more Fact sheet no. 28 (123 KB)
34 – Maintenance obligation of children towards parents in need of care (help with care)

If the costs for nursing care exceed the income of a person in need of nursing care, he or she can get what is known as help with care from the social welfare office. As soon as the social welfare...

Read more Fact sheet no. 34 (268 KB)
37 – Assistance for nursing care from the district authorities

Persons who need care because of their health status, but do not have the necessary funds to pay for the care (because no entitlement to care insurance benefits exists or because the benefits of the care fund are not sufficient),...

Read more Fact sheet no. 37 (122 KB)