Pflegegeld and an au pair – can it help finance the costs?
“Are we actually allowed to use our Pflegegeld (a German cash benefit paid to people assessed as needing care) towards the costs of our au pair?”
Families with a child with a disability ask us this question again and again.
Because once a Pflegegrad (the German care level assigned after an assessment) has already been established and Pflegegeld is being paid monthly, it seems natural to think of using this money for the support that actually reaches everyday family life.
The short answer is:
Yes, Pflegegeld can in principle be used for this.
Unlike some other benefits under the German long-term care insurance, Pflegegeld is not tied to billing through a particular approved service provider.
What is Pflegegeld?
People assessed as needing care receive Pflegegeld from Pflegegrad 2 onwards, provided that home-based care is arranged appropriately by themselves.
What makes it special:
Pflegegeld is paid out directly, and the person needing care – or, in the case of children, their legal representative – can in principle decide for themselves how it is used.
There is no obligation to prove every single euro spent to the Pflegekasse (the long-term care insurance fund) through invoices or receipts.
This is what clearly distinguishes Pflegegeld, for example, from earmarked reimbursement benefits.
How much is Pflegegeld in 2026?
The amount depends on the respective Pflegegrad.
- Pflegegrad 1: no Pflegegeld
- Pflegegrad 2: €347 per month
- Pflegegrad 3: €599 per month
- Pflegegrad 4: €800 per month
- Pflegegrad 5: €990 per month
Especially with a higher Pflegegrad, this can mean a sum is available every month that families can consciously use to organise their everyday life and home care.
Can it also be used to pay for an au pair?
Pflegegeld can in principle be used freely, as long as home-based care continues to be ensured.
Families can therefore decide for themselves how they use this financial support in their everyday life.
That can, for example, also mean financing part of the ongoing costs of an au pair from Pflegegeld.
However, this does not turn the au pair into a carer.
That matters a great deal to us.
An au pair does not provide professional care and does not replace a Pflegedienst (a professional home care service), therapy, or a qualified specialist.
Their strength lies instead in supporting everyday family life.
Pflegegeld for relief that is actually felt in everyday life
Especially for families with a child with a disability, this support can be felt in many different places.
The au pair can play with the children, accompany them through the day, support the morning routine, or be there for siblings.
They can take on light household tasks and thereby create additional space.
Perhaps it allows mum or dad to spend some exclusive time with a sibling for once.
Perhaps they take on part of the morning routine after a difficult night.
Or they spend an afternoon with the children while the parents can take care of other things.
Pflegegeld can thus flow into support that the family genuinely experiences every day.
An example: Pflegegrad 3
A child with Pflegegrad 3 receives €599 in Pflegegeld per month in 2026.
At the same time, an au pair lives with the family.
Costs for the au pair include, among other things, pocket money, insurance, a contribution towards the language course, as well as accommodation and meals.
The family could, for example, decide to use part of the monthly Pflegegeld towards these costs.
This does not mean that the long-term care insurance is “paying for” the au pair.
It means, rather:
The family itself decides that part of the Pflegegeld should flow into this form of support for their everyday family life.
Important: distinguishing Pflegegeld from other care benefits
Pflegegeld should not be confused with Verhinderungspflege (respite care), the Entlastungsbetrag (a monthly relief allowance for approved support services), or other benefits under the long-term care insurance.
Each of these benefits has its own conditions and, in some cases, specific rules about what they may be used for and by whom.
With Pflegegeld, there is considerably more freedom.
Even so, the child's home-based care must continue to be ensured.
Anyone who also makes use of Pflegesachleistungen (in-kind care benefits) from an outpatient Pflegedienst should also bear in mind that this can change the amount of Pflegegeld paid out. This may then be treated as a so-called combination benefit.
One possible building block in financing
An au pair costs money.
At the same time, families with a child with a disability have various benefits and options available to ease the financial burden.
Pflegegeld can be one building block within this.
Depending on the individual situation, other benefits may also play a role alongside it – for example Verhinderungspflege, benefits under Eingliederungshilfe (support for participation and inclusion), or a Persönliches Budget (a benefit paid to you as money you manage yourself).
Different conditions apply to each of these.
Our tip from Besondere Sterne
If your child has a Pflegegrad and you are thinking about an au pair, do not just look at the au pair costs on their own.
Also look at which benefits your family already has access to, and which of these you can use flexibly.
Pflegegeld is one of the benefits where families have considerable scope to decide for themselves.
An au pair does not replace a carer.
But it can bring an additional familiar person into everyday family life – someone who provides support exactly where relief is needed every day.
And if you would like to use part of your Pflegegeld for precisely that, something very concrete can come of it:
more support. More time. And two more hands in everyday family life.
