Working during parental allowance

Yes, you may work up to 32 hours per week. If you work more than this, you will lose your entitlement to parental allowance. The hour limit does not have to be met in every week, but on average the hours worked in the month of life.

Please note: You must inform the parental allowance office immediately if you start working while receiving parental allowance.

This depends on how you prove your income. If you prove your income with an income statement, the so-called "inflow principle" applies. This means: income is taken into account when payment is received. If the payment is received while you are receiving parental allowance, the payment will be partially offset against the parental allowance. It does not matter when you have performed the service for which the payment is.

If you prove your income with a balance sheet, the so-called "realization principle" applies. With the realization principle, income is taken into account at the time when the profit arose. For example, in the case of services, this is the time when you have performed the service and are therefore entitled to the payment. If you performed the service before receiving parental allowance, the payment is not counted towards the parental allowance. Here, it does not matter when the payment is received by you.

Yes, as a rule you will then receive less parental allowance. This is because parental allowance replaces part of the income you had before the birth and no longer have afterwards. It compensates for the difference between your income before and after the birth. The more you earn after the birth, the smaller the difference and thus your parental allowance.

However, you are entitled to a minimum amount: you will receive at least 300 euros per month from the basic parental allowance or 150 euros per month from the parental allowance plus - even if you earn the same amount after the birth as before.

Parental allowance is paid during the month of life for which it is intended. The payment takes place in North Rhine-Westphalia in each case around the 1st calendar day in the respective life month.

Example:

• Birth of the child on July 15, 2022
• Third month of life = September 15, 2022 - October 14, 2022

The parental allowance for the third month of life is transferred around October 1, 2022.