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Care assistance Authorisation

  • Service description

    Do you have impairments to your independence or your abilities for health reasons and are therefore dependent on help from others? Then you are entitled to care assistance under certain circumstances.

    If you have long-term care insurance, your relevant long-term care insurance fund or your private long-term care insurance company, which provides compulsory private long-term care insurance, is responsible for covering the costs of long-term care. However, the costs are only covered by long-term care insurance up to certain maximum limits, depending on the type of benefit.

    If you are unable to cover the remaining costs, you may be eligible for social welfare benefits such as care assistance.

    However, you may also be entitled to long-term care assistance if you have no claims against long-term care insurance, for example if you do not have long-term care insurance or if the need for long-term care is expected to last less than 6 months.

    The reason for the need for care may be physical, cognitive or mental impairments or health-related stresses or requirements that you are unable to compensate for or cope with independently.

    You can apply for care assistance from your responsible social welfare organisation.

    • If your care insurance fund has already decided on your level of care, the social welfare organisation is bound by this decision. The prerequisite for this is that it is based on facts that must be taken into account in both decisions.
    • If the long-term care insurance fund has not made a decision about your care level, the social welfare organisation can take action itself if there is a corresponding need for urgency. The social welfare organisation can commission other experts or the Medical Service to assist with its decision.

    You will only receive care assistance if your income and assets and those of your spouse or partner are not sufficient to cover the uncovered costs of care yourself after covering your living expenses and other general living requirements. Dependent children and parents are only required to reimburse costs if their annual gross income is more than EUR 100,000.

    You are entitled to the following benefits as part of care assistance:

    In care level 1:

    • Care aids
    • Measures to improve the living environment
    • Digital care applications
    • Supplementary support with the use of digital care applications
    • Relief amount

    In care levels 2 to 5:

    • home care in the form of:
      • Care allowance
      • home care assistance
      • Preventive care
      • Care aids
      • Measures to improve the living environment
      • other services
      • digital care applications
      • Supplementary support for the use of digital care applications
    • Partial inpatient care, i.e. temporary care during the day or at night in a day care or night care facility
    • Short-term care, i.e. temporary full inpatient care when care is generally provided at home
    • Relief amount
    • Inpatient care, i.e. permanent full inpatient care

    The competent authority will check your documents. If the relevant requirements are met, you will be granted care assistance.

  • Procedure

    You will receive care assistance at the earliest from the date on which the competent social welfare organisation becomes aware that the requirements for benefits have been met.

    • As a person with long-term care insurance, you should first contact your relevant long-term care insurance fund or your private long-term care insurance company, which organises the compulsory private long-term care insurance.
    • The long-term care insurance fund or the long-term care insurance company commissions the
      • Medical service (MD) or
      • other independent experts or,
      • If you are privately insured, Medicproof will provide you with an expert opinion on your need for long-term care and the level of care you are entitled to.
    • If these benefits are not sufficient or you are not entitled to any benefits at all, apply for care assistance from your responsible social welfare organisation. This also applies if you do not have long-term care insurance.
    • You will receive counselling there and can inform the social welfare provider about your benefit requirements.
    • The social welfare organisation will check the documents you submit and your income and financial circumstances and, if applicable, those of your spouse or partner. In the case of minors and unmarried persons in need of care, the income and assets of their parents will be taken into account.
    • If all requirements are met, you will receive a letter of authorisation.

  • Responsible office

    For people who have reached the age of 65 or have a care degree of 0 to 1, an application for care assistance must always be submitted to the local district social welfare office of the district or the social welfare office for the Saarbrücken regional association.

    Only for people who have not yet reached the age of 65 and who have at least care level 2 is the State Office for Social Affairs the right point of contact.

  • Prerequisites

    • You are impaired in your independence or your abilities for health reasons so that you require help from others. This means that you have physical, cognitive or mental impairments or health-related burdens or requirements that you are unable to compensate for or cope with independently.
    • The need for care must be at least as severe as the degree of care recognised by law. This means that you must have at least care level 1. However, only limited benefits are provided for those in need of care in care grade 1 as part of the care assistance programme. Those in need of care with care levels 2 to 5, on the other hand, have full access.
    • You and your spouse or partner who is not separated do not have sufficient income or assets to cover the care costs.

  • What fees are charged?

    There are no fees.

  • What deadlines do I have to observe?

    There are no statutory deadlines. However, you should apply for care assistance before moving into a care home or before receiving care services at home, or at least inform us of your needs in advance. This is because social welfare benefits, including care assistance, are only paid as soon as the social welfare organisation or its authorised agencies become aware that the requirements for the benefit have been met.

  • Processing time

    A decision on the application will be made as quickly as possible. The processing time depends, among other things, on the completeness of the information and the required evidence.

  • Legal basis

  • Legal remedy

    • Appeal within one month of notification of the administrative act
    • Action before the social court within one month of notification of the objection notice

  • Further information

  • Short text

    • Care assistance Authorisation
    • The person in need of care must have a health-related physical, cognitive or mental impairment of independence or abilities and therefore require assistance from others (at least care level 1; care level may be determined on application)
    • The person in need of care and their spouse or partner who is not separated do not have sufficient income or assets to cover the care costs themselves, which are not covered by the care insurance.
    • for unmarried minors in need of care, the parents' income and assets are taken into account
    • the person in need of care must not receive similar benefits under other legislation
    • responsible: Social welfare organisation

  • Author

    Forwarding service: Deep link to the source portal Forwarding service: Deep link to the source portal

  • Professionally approved by

    Assistance with long-term care/social welfare: Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS); only for long-term care insurance benefits: Federal Ministry of Health (BMG)

    26.06.2024

    Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Women and Health - Division B4 (MASFG)

  • Information stand

    24.10.2023

  • Typing

    2/3b

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