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Do homemakers need accident insurance in Germany?

In short

Do homemakers need accident insurance in Germany? Often yes, because running your own household is not covered by statutory accident insurance. A private policy costs about EUR 5 to 22 a month and pays a lump sum for permanent impairment. It matters less if your household could pay for domestic help without it.

Do homemakers need accident insurance in Germany?

What it costs

Publicly quoted monthly premiums for private accident insurance in Germany with a base sum of EUR 100,000 and 350 percent progression, depending on how the insurer rates you.

ExampleTypical range
Rated like non-manual workabout EUR 5 to 15 a month
Rated like manual workabout EUR 10 to 22 a month
Child up to 17, covered in the family policyabout EUR 3 to 8 a month
Domestic help at the 2026 minimum wage, ten hours a weekaround EUR 600 a month plus charges

Premiums as of 2026 from publicly quoted tariff examples,

minimum wage according to the Minijob-Zentrale.

The base sum for homemakers is a guide value from quoting practice.

We obtain the exact quote for you.

Worked example

Stay-at-home father, 38, falls off a ladder

While cleaning windows the ladder slips. A complicated ankle fracture heals badly and the medical expert sets the degree of disability at 30 percent. The figures are a worked example.

Statutory accident insuranceEUR 0, household work is not covered
Private base sumEUR 150,000
Payout at 30 percent without progressionEUR 45,000
Domestic help, ten hours a weekaround EUR 7,200 a year plus charges

Before charges, the EUR 45,000 pay for a good six years of domestic help. Without private cover the family carries these costs itself.

Why household work has no statutory cover

German statutory accident insurance protects employees, children in day care and school, students, many volunteers and family carers. Working in your own household is not on that list. If you fall off a ladder while cleaning windows or burn yourself badly while cooking, statutory accident insurance pays nothing.

There is one exception. If you care for a relative at home who has at least care grade 2, you are covered while caring and while helping in that person's household. A domestic helper you employ on a mini job is also registered for statutory accident insurance through the Minijob-Zentrale.

ActivityStatutory accident cover?
Cleaning, cooking, shopping for your own familyno
Caring for a relative with care grade 2 or higheryes
Volunteering for a municipality, church or welfare organisationyes, in many cases
Your children in day care and schoolyes
A domestic helper employed on a mini jobyes
Leisure, sport, holidaysno

What a household accident costs

Health insurance pays for treatment and rehabilitation. What remains are the effects on daily life. If you can no longer clean, lift or look after children after an accident, you need help. Ten hours of domestic help a week at the minimum wage of EUR 13.90 cost around EUR 600 a month, plus charges.

Private accident insurance pays a one-off sum for permanent impairment. You can use it for help at home, adapting your flat or a car with automatic transmission.

How much cover makes sense

The usual rule of thumb based on income does not work if you have no salary. Work out instead what help would cost over many years. A base sum of at least EUR 100,000 with progression is a common minimum.

Each insurer decides which risk group household work falls into. Ask about it, because being rated like manual work makes the premium noticeably higher.

When you do not need it

Accident insurance only pays for accidents. Lasting impairment is far more often caused by illness. If you still have an occupational disability policy from earlier employment, keep it and treat accident insurance as an addition.

You can do without it if you have enough savings to pay for help and adaptations yourself for years. A policy with premium refund is rarely sensible for homemakers, it costs two to four times as much as pure risk cover.

Step by step

  1. Check whether caring, volunteering or a mini job gives you partial statutory cover.
  2. Work out what help at home would cost over several years.
  3. Choose base sum and progression on that basis, not on a salary.
  4. Ask the insurer which risk group applies to homemakers.
  5. Keep and coordinate existing occupational disability policies.

Checklist

  • Base sum of at least EUR 100,000
  • Progression agreed
  • Risk group confirmed in writing
  • Children included in the same policy if wanted
  • No expensive policy with premium refund

Common mistakes

  • Believing your partner's cover through their employer also applies at home
  • Choosing a low base sum because no income would be lost
  • Treating accident insurance as cover for illness
  • Cancelling an occupational disability policy in favour of accident insurance

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Are homemakers covered through their partner?

Not by the statutory scheme.

Employer cover only applies to the employee and only at work.

Privately you can be included in your partner's policy.

Am I covered while caring for my mother?

Yes, if she has at least care grade 2.

You are then covered by statutory accident insurance while caring and while helping in her

household.

What does accident insurance cost for a stay-at-home parent?

About EUR 5 to 22 a month for a base sum of EUR 100,000.

What matters is how the insurer rates household work.

Does accident insurance pay for domestic help?

It pays a sum for permanent impairment, from which you pay for help yourself.

Whether your policy also includes support services after an accident is set out in the terms.

Do homemakers need accident or occupational disability insurance?

The Verbraucherzentrale counts homemakers among the groups for whom private accident insurance is

especially important.

It only covers accidents, though, not illness.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

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