Child benefit after graduating from school: This is how parents secure payments!

Child benefit after graduating from school: This is how parents secure payments!

Many families in Cologne are faced with a crucial question: What happens to child benefit when the children leave school? This time of change brings with it uncertainty for many parents. Current information shows that child benefit can continue to flow even after the child turns 18, as long as certain requirements are met. So reported my-onlinezeitung.de that parents are generally entitled to child benefit until they reach the age of 18, but can continue to receive financial support while their children pursue school or vocational training or study.

It is also possible to apply for child benefit for a maximum of four months during a transition phase between two training periods. It is important that parents inform the family fund in good time about their child's plans in order to avoid interruptions in payments. Applications and evidence, such as a certificate of school leaving certificate, must be submitted in advance. The family fund will then check the eligibility to receive child benefit, as the Federal Employment Agency clarifies in a current article: employment agency.de.

Important requirements for entitlement to child benefit

There are a few other points for parents to consider in order to be able to claim child benefit beyond the age of 18. According to the current regulations, families continue to receive child benefit for children who are in training up to the age of 25. In concrete terms, this means that eligibility for child benefit is not only influenced by the training or study relationship, but also by the professional situation. For example, if young adults receive unemployment benefit, their entitlement remains as long as they have registered with the employment agency as looking for work.

Parents can also apply for child benefit if their children complete a Voluntary Social Year (FSJ), a Voluntary Ecological Year (FÖJ) or the Federal Voluntary Service. Here, too, it is important to inform the family fund promptly about the child's current circumstances. The necessary forms such as the “Declaration of the circumstances of a child over 18 years old” should then be filled out and submitted in a timely manner.

Payout and further information

Child benefit, which has amounted to 255 euros per month per child since January 1, 2025, is paid to the person with whom the child spends most of their time. In shared households, parents can decide for themselves who receives the payments. To ensure that everything runs smoothly, it is advisable to collect all relevant evidence and information in advance and submit it to the family fund - usually the employment agency - in a timely manner. For detailed information, interested families can also visit the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs' family portal bmfsfj.de informed.

In summary, the phase after leaving school offers many opportunities to continue receiving financial support. It is worth being well informed and taking all the necessary steps in good time so that the family budget does not come to a standstill.