Child allowance in the Altersvorsorgedepot: who receives the €300 per child?
€300 per child per year, simply added by the state: that is the child allowance in the Altersvorsorgedepot. What many parents overlook is that the allowance does not automatically go to both parents at the same time; it is allocated per child to exactly one parent. If you both run your own Altersvorsorgedepot, it is worth taking a close look at this allocation. Because which contract receives the €300 is something you can influence yourself in many cases, and so get more out of your joint subsidy. Here you will learn how the allocation works, what applies to separated parents and what to watch out for so that no allowance passes you by.
The key points at a glance
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The child allowance is up to €300 per child eligible for child benefit per year and is allocated to only one parent per child.
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The basic allowance, by contrast, goes to each parent individually, provided they are eligible for the subsidy and pay in. The two forms of subsidy run independently of each other.
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The allocation of the child allowance is generally based on which parent receives the child benefit for the child.
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Where you are raising the child together, you can usually have the allocation changed by applying to the provider.
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After a separation, the child allowance follows the entitlement to child benefit and not automatically one fixed parent.
Child allowance and basic allowance: two separate pots
So that you can judge the allocation correctly later on, it is worth first looking at the difference: the basic allowance and the child allowance are often lumped together, but they work according to quite different logic. The good news first: each parent receives the basic allowance for themselves, provided they are eligible for the subsidy and pay into their own Altersvorsorgedepot. So if you both have a securities account, each of you gets your own basic allowance – regardless of how many children you have.
With the child allowance it is different. It is paid only once per child and allocated to a single contract. So if you have two children, there are at most two child allowances to distribute, not four.
In short
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Basic allowance: each parent receives it for themselves, depending on their own contribution.
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Child allowance: only once per child, allocated to one contract.
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So both parents can benefit at the same time, just in different ways.
Who receives the child allowance if both parents have an account?
If you both have your own Altersvorsorgedepot and both have your own entitlement to the subsidy, the key question arises: whose contract receives the €300 for a particular child? The answer is simpler than it sounds: the allocation is generally based on who receives child benefit for the child. If the mother receives the child benefit, for example, the child allowance is usually allocated to her securities account.
In practice this means that the parent whose contract is to receive the allowance needs their own Altersvorsorgedepot. Without a securities account there is no child allowance either, no matter how much child benefit is paid.
If you have two or more children, you do not have to settle on one contract. You can also spread the child allowance for different children across different securities accounts, as long as it is clear for each child which contract it is allocated to.
A good first overview of the legal basis of the reform is provided by the FAQ of the Federal Ministry of Finance.
Can the allocation of the child allowance be changed?
Yes, and that is good to know in case your situation changes. If it makes more sense for you that the other parent receives the child allowance, for example because their securities account already reaches the full subsidy or because a higher special expenses deduction is possible, the allocation can usually be changed. The usual route is a joint, informal application by both parents to the respective provider.
One point you should keep in mind: A changed allocation usually only applies from the contribution year in which the application is made, not retrospectively. If you want the full allowance for a particular year to stay with the existing contract, you should initiate the change in good time beforehand.
In short
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The allocation follows the entitlement to child benefit, but is usually not set in stone.
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A joint application to the provider can redirect the allowance to the other contract.
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A change usually only takes effect from the current or the coming contribution year.
What applies to separated or divorced parents?
Even if your life situation changes, the principle stays simple: for parents living apart or divorced, the child allowance follows the same basic principle, it is linked to the entitlement to child benefit. If one parent continues to receive the child benefit after a separation, the child allowance normally stays allocated to that parent, provided they run their own Altersvorsorgedepot.
In blended families with children from several relationships, a careful check for each child is worthwhile. For each child it is determined individually who receives the child benefit and therefore in principle has a claim to the associated child allowance. Keeping track here means getting the full subsidy for every child in the end.
What happens when a child grows out of the child benefit age?
The child allowance is linked to the entitlement to child benefit. When child benefit ends, usually at 18 or, in the case of training or study, by 25 at the latest, the child allowance for that child also ceases from that point. No need to worry about your own subsidy: the basic allowance of the parent concerned is unaffected, as long as they keep paying in and remain eligible for the subsidy.
Anyone with several children of different ages should keep this in mind for long-term planning: the total subsidy falls step by step as one child after another grows out of the child benefit age.
Conclusion
Whether the child allowance ends up with you or with your partner is not a formality but a real decision with financial weight. If you both run an Altersvorsorgedepot, you should go through the allocation consciously once rather than leaving it to who happens to receive the child benefit. The effort is small; the effect on your joint subsidy is not.
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Do both parents receive the child allowance for the same child?
No, the child allowance is paid only once per child and allocated to one contract. The basic allowance, by contrast, goes to each parent independently of that, provided they are eligible for the subsidy and pay in.
Who receives the child allowance, the mother or the father?
The allocation is generally based on who receives child benefit for the child. The parent whose securities account is to receive the allowance needs their own Altersvorsorgedepot contract for this.
Can we change the allocation of the child allowance?
As a rule yes, via a joint application by both parents to the provider. The change usually only applies from the contribution year of the application, not retrospectively.
What happens to the child allowance after a separation?
The child allowance continues to follow the entitlement to child benefit. If one parent receives the child benefit after the separation, the child allowance stays allocated to them, provided they run their own securities account.
Do both parents need their own Altersvorsorgedepot in order to take advantage of the subsidy?
For the basic allowance yes, each parent needs their own contract. For the child allowance it is enough if the parent to whom it is to be allocated runs a securities account.
Until when is the child allowance available for a child?
As long as there is an entitlement to child benefit, so until the 18th birthday or up to the age of 25 in the case of training or study. After that the child allowance for that child ceases.
Lawyer & financial market expert · AVD Anbieter Vergleich
Rolf Henning Hackel is a qualified lawyer who has spent more than 22 years as a board member and managing director at various software providers to the financial industry, and as a founder himself. As a thorough market expert he knows not only the different providers but also the financial industry’s products, their strengths and weaknesses, and the regulatory framework around them. At AVD Anbieter Vergleich he writes about the new Altersvorsorgedepot and explains subsidies, providers and return potential in plain language — independently and free of advertising.
