Does German health insurance still pay a death grant?
In short
No. German statutory health insurance (Krankenkasse) has not paid a death grant (Sterbegeld) since 1 January 2004; the rules were removed from the Social Code. The last amount was EUR 525. A death grant still exists from accident insurance after a work accident, about EUR 6,780 in 2026, and for families of civil servants. A pensioner's spouse often gets three extra months of pension.
Public payments on death in 2026 and guide figures for private provision.
Example
Typical range
Health insurance death grant until 2003
EUR 525, today EUR 0
Accident insurance death grant 2026
about EUR 6,780
Funeral insurance, start at 60, sum EUR 7,000
about EUR 35 to 39 a month
Cremation with an urn grave
about EUR 4,000 to 6,000
As of October 2026.
The accident insurance grant is our own calculation from the 2026 reference value.
Premiums and funeral costs are guide values from published examples;
we obtain the exact quote for you.
Worked example
Pensioner dies, his wife arranges the funeral
The husband received a EUR 1,500 pension. The funeral costs EUR 6,500, there was no funeral insurance.
Death grant from health insurance
EUR 0
Advance on three months of pension
EUR 4,500
Undertaker and cemetery bill
EUR 6,500
Rest from savings
EUR 2,000
The three months of pension cover about two thirds here. There is no such advance for the second death. The funeral cost is a guide value from our quoting practice.
What changed in 2004
With the health insurance modernisation act, the death grant left the benefits of German health insurance on 1 January 2004. Sections 58 and 59 of Book V of the Social Code are now marked "repealed". The last grant was EUR 525 for a member and EUR 262.50 for a family-insured relative.
Funeral plans advertised by some health insurers with partners are private life insurance with their own premium, not a health insurance benefit.
Who still pays something when someone dies
Public money for a funeral only comes in special cases.
Payer
Condition
Amount 2026
Health insurance
none, benefit abolished
EUR 0
Statutory accident insurance
death from work accident or occupational disease
one seventh of EUR 47,460, about EUR 6,780
Employer of civil servants
death in service or retirement
twice the monthly pay or pension
Pension insurance
spouse of a pensioner
three months of the full pension
Social welfare office
those liable cannot pay
necessary cost of a funeral
The death grant from accident insurance
If death results from a work accident, a commuting accident or an occupational disease, the accident insurer pays a death grant under section 64 of Book VII of the Social Code. It is one seventh of the reference value, which is EUR 47,460 for 2026, so about EUR 6,780. It goes to whoever pays the funeral.
The three months of pension for a spouse
When a pensioner dies, the surviving spouse keeps receiving the full pension of the deceased for three months (Sterbevierteljahr). An advance of three monthly pensions can be requested from the pension service within 30 days. It is not a death grant but often covers part of the funeral.
What this means for you
For most families no fund pays anything. A funeral in Germany costs about EUR 4,000 to 12,000, and repatriation to another country adds more. If you cannot cover it from savings, a savings account, funeral insurance or a trust account with an undertaker can help.
When you need nothing extra
If EUR 5,000 to 8,000 sit in an account you do not touch, and a relative has access, the funeral is covered. You do not need funeral insurance just because health insurance stopped paying.
Step by step
Check whether the death followed a work accident or occupational disease.
For civil servants contact the employer or pension office.
For pensioners request the three-month advance within 30 days.
Ask the employer about a death benefit under the collective agreement.
Then plan your own provision for the rest.
Checklist
Expect nothing from health insurance
Work accident as cause checked
Civil servant status checked
Pension advance requested in time
Own savings or provision for the funeral
Common mistakes
Waiting for a death grant from health insurance
Taking a funeral plan with a health insurer's logo for a public benefit
Missing the 30 days for the pension advance
Counting on the three months of pension for the second death
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Since when has there been no death grant?
Since 1 January 2004.
German statutory health insurance no longer has this benefit.
Does private health insurance pay a death grant?
Only if your tariff says so explicitly.
It is not common.
Is there a death grant for people on citizens' income?
No.
If relatives cannot pay, the social welfare office covers the necessary cost of a funeral under
section 74 SGB XII.
Do civil servants still get a death grant?
Yes, their families receive twice the monthly pay or pension under section 18 BeamtVG at federal
level; the states have their own rules.
What is the Sterbevierteljahr?
The spouse of a pensioner receives the full pension of the deceased for three months.
