Are you a single parent and bear most of the responsibility alone? And you also have financial worries after the separation because the child maintenance payments have not been made? What happens if the other parent does not pay maintenance, only pays part of it or does not pay it regularly? In these cases, you can apply for maintenance advance. You can find all the important information about the benefit and how to apply here.

The maintenance advance is a compensation payment for missing maintenance payments from the other parent.

Your child is legally entitled to the maintenance advance if maintenance is not paid or not paid regularly. It is then used to financially secure the child's basic needs. These include the costs of food, clothing, housing, hobbies and leisure activities, schooling and pocket money. Your child has a right to grow up well provided for. You should therefore not refrain from applying for an advance on maintenance payments if your child meets the requirements. Your local maintenance advance office will help you with the application process.

You can also submit a free application for maintenance advance to clarify and claim maintenance entitlements.

Does the parent liable for maintenance have to pay back the maintenance advance? Although the state advances the money if the parent liable for maintenance does not or cannot pay, it reclaims it from him or her within the limits of financial means.

If the other parent is able to pay, the advance maintenance payment paid is reclaimed from him or her by the state.

In order to find out whether the defaulting parent is able to pay, he or she is asked to disclose the income situation. If the information is refused, the maintenance advance office can request information, for example about income, from the employer, tax office, insurance companies and social security institutions. If necessary, legal action and enforcement may be taken.

However, the maintenance advance is only to be repaid by the parent liable to pay maintenance if they are in a financial position to do so.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, recovery from the parent liable to pay maintenance is usually a matter for the NRW State Office of Finance. You can find lots of important information on this on the website of the Landesamt für Finanzen.

The parent who is obliged to pay maintenance is not released from responsibility, because: Although the state advances the money if the parent liable for maintenance does not or cannot pay, it reclaims it from him or her within the limits of financial means.

If the other parent is able to pay, the advance maintenance payment is reclaimed from them by the state.

In order to find out whether the defaulting parent is able to pay, they are asked to disclose their income situation. If the information is refused, the maintenance advance office can request information, for example about income, from the employer, tax office, insurance companies and social security institutions. If necessary, legal action and enforcement may be taken.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, recovery from the parent liable for maintenance is usually the responsibility of the NRW State Office of Finance. You can find lots of important information on this on the website of the Landesamt für Finanzen.

You can not only easily apply for advance maintenance payments completely digitally via the application link, but also quickly and easily determine whether you meet the basic requirements for the payment of advance maintenance:

In North Rhine-Westphalia, the local authorities process applications for advance maintenance payments. The staff at your maintenance advance office will advise you on all questions relating to maintenance advance and the application process - on site, by telephone or by email.

To view the contact details of your maintenance advance office, please enter your zip code or place of residence.