ROUTE
Pflegegrad: Care Level
If a relative needs care, insurance pays 347 to 990 β¬ per month in cash β including to the caring family member. How to get a Pflegegrad and pass the assessment.
β Checked: 18/07/2026
Long-term care insurance is compulsory for everyone in Germany and pays money when a relative needs help in daily life. The key detail people learn late: payment also flows where relatives themselves provide the care rather than a professional service.
COSTS AND DEADLINES
Deadlines you cannot miss
- The decision must arrive within 25 working days; benefits start from the application monthPflegegrad: Application and Assessmenthard deadline
Amounts follow official fees as of each stepβs verification date. Your city may charge a different rate β check the step itself.
βΊ More about this route
This two-step route covers everything: applying to the care fund and preparing for the assessment visit that determines the level awarded, plus an overview of the benefits available at each level.
It is that assessment visit which decides, and preparing for it matters more than everything else combined. What is assessed is not diagnoses but independence in specific everyday activities β and on a good day a person often appears far more capable than they actually live.
WHERE PEOPLE MOST OFTEN LOSE MONEY AND TIME
- Preparing the assessment visit as a showcase day. Ordinary daily life is what counts, and a flattering picture produces an understated level.
- Keeping no care diary. Records of what help is needed and how often per day are the strongest argument available.
- Receiving the assessor without the carer present. It is relatives who know the real difficulties the person themselves plays down.
- Accepting an understated level. One month remains for an objection, and a substantial share of decisions change afterwards.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ROUTE
What exactly does the assessor evaluate?βΎ
Not diagnoses but independence in daily life: mobility, self-care, communication, coping with illness and organising everyday activities. The level follows from that assessment, and every benefit follows from the level.
Is care by relatives paid for too?βΎ
Yes β where those close provide the care, money is paid directly to the person needing care, who may use it as they see fit, including for the carer. A combined option with a partially engaged service also exists.
How should we prepare for the visit?βΎ
Keep a diary for at least a week: what can no longer be done alone, how often help is needed each day, what happens at night. The carerβs presence matters β they say aloud what the person themselves leaves out.
What if the level is set too low?βΎ
Object within one month, enclosing the care diary and medical reports. First decisions frequently rest on an incomplete picture, and the assessment changes once documents are added.