What will change for families in 2025

In 2025, changes to the law that affect children and families will come into force. The income limit for parental allowance will fall, maintenance for separated children at university will increase and there will be more options when choosing a surname: Find out about the most important changes here.

Currently, child benefit is 250 euros per child per month. From January 2025, child benefit will increase by 5 euros and will then amount to 255 euros per child per month.

Further information on child benefit can be found here on the Familienportal.NRW.

The emergency child supplement is part of the support for families in need and is paid to children living in families who are entitled to social benefits such as citizen's allowance. It provides immediate financial relief, especially for families affected by poverty. The emergency child allowance will increase from 20 euros to 25 euros per child per month in 2025.

Children, adolescents and young adults who are entitled to:

• benefits under the Second or Twelfth Book of the German Social Code (SGB II or SGB XII);
• benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act;
• supplementary assistance for living expenses;
• or for whom child supplement is received.

The immediate supplement is paid by the offices that also pay the respective basic benefit.

The basic tax-free allowance was increased by 180 euros to 11,784 euros with retroactive effect from 01.01.2024.

The child allowance has increased by 60 euros to 6,612 euros per child per year. Together with the childcare and education allowance of currently €2,928, this results in a total of €9,540 that parents can claim for tax purposes per child.

Note the following special features: The adjustment of the basic allowance and the child allowance for 2024 is taken into account in the December salary. You will therefore receive the reduction for the whole of 2024 in December. From January 2025, the allowances will then be taken into account again on a monthly basis.

The page "Tax benefits for families" here on Familienportal.NRW provides information about the child allowance and other tax relief for families.

From January 1, 2025, parents will be able to claim higher childcare costs against tax. 80 percent of the costs for daycare facilities or daycare with a childminder will then be deductible. The maximum amount will thus rise from 4,000 to 4,800 euros.

The income threshold above which parents are no longer entitled to parental allowance will fall to a taxable income of 175,000 euros for births from April 1, 2025. The previous limit was 200,000 euros.

You can find all the changes to parental allowance here.

From May 2025, changes to naming law will come into force. The options in the law on married names and birth names will be moderately adapted to the diverse realities of family life. Among other things, parents will then have the option of giving their child a "real" double name. You will soon be able to read detailed information on the modernization of the naming law in a detailed article here on Familienportal.NRW.

Fathers or mothers living apart will have to pay slightly more maintenance for their children in 2025 than before. The rates will be increased by just under 1 percent on January 1, 2025. From the new year, the minimum maintenance for underage children will be 482 instead of the previous 480 euros until their sixth birthday, 554 instead of the previous 551 euros for the period from the sixth to the twelfth birthday and 649 instead of the previous 645 euros per month for the period from the twelfth to the 18th birthday. For adult children, at least 693 euros (instead of the previous 689 euros) must be paid.

For children who do not receive any or sufficient maintenance, the youth welfare offices pay advance maintenance payments. These benefits increase in the same proportion as the minimum maintenance. Because child benefit is taken into account, 232 euros (0 to 5 years), 304 euros (6 to 11 years) and 399 euros are paid respectively.

The amount required for children who are studying and no longer live with their parents increases by 60 euros from 930 to 990 euros per month. You can find detailed information on the maintenance rates in the article "Neue Düsseldorfer Tabelle 2025" here on Familienportal.NRW.

Housing benefit will be adjusted in line with general price and rent trends in 2025 and increased by 30 euros per household. Around two million households will benefit from this - especially single parents, families and pensioners. Questions and answers on Housing Benefit Plus have been compiled by the federal government.

Example calculations for the new housing benefit, valid from January 1, 2025, can be found on the portal of the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building.

From January 1, 2025, the care allowance and care benefits in kind will increase by 4.5 percent. The new amounts for care expenses can be found in the information sheet from the Federal Office of Administration Service Center DLZ.

Apprentices starting training in 2025 will receive at least 682 euros per month in the first year of training, at least 805 euros per month in the second year of training and at least 921 euros per month in the third year of training. In the fourth year of training, the minimum payment is 955 euros per month.