Apply for advance maintenance payments for children of single parents

You will receive advance maintenance payments for your child if you are raising it in your household without another parent against whom the child is entitled to maintenance. However, this maintenance is not paid by the other parent or the person obliged to pay maintenance, or is paid incompletely or irregularly.

Children with a deceased parent may also be entitled to an advance on maintenance payments if no or insufficient orphan's benefits are paid.

The child's centre of life must clearly be in your household. This means that you are not entitled to an advance on maintenance payments if you use the alternating model. You must not have married a new partner.

If the eligibility requirements are met, you will receive the maintenance advance until your child reaches the age of majority.

The amount of the maintenance advance is calculated from the amount of the respective minimum maintenance rates less child benefit and, if applicable, less any maintenance payments or orphan's benefits already received.

The following amounts currently apply (as at 2025):

• for children up to 5 years EUR 227.00 per month
• for children from 6 to 11 years EUR 299.00 per month
• for children from 12 to 17 years EUR 394.00 per month

The maintenance advance is always paid at the beginning of a calendar month and can be applied for retroactively for 1 month.