How much long-term care insurance do pensioners pay in Germany?
In short
How much long-term care insurance do pensioners pay in Germany? In 2026 they pay 3.6 per cent of their pension, childless pensioners 4.2 per cent. On a 1,500 euro pension that is 54 euros a month, or 63 euros without children. Pensioners pay the contribution alone (§ 59 (1) SGB XI); unlike health insurance, the pension fund adds nothing.
Monthly care contributions for pensioners in statutory long-term care insurance, 2026.
Example
Typical range
Pension 1,500 euros, children over 25
54 euros a month
Pension 1,500 euros, childless
63 euros a month
Pension 2,000 euros plus company pension 300 euros, with children
82.80 euros a month
Pension 2,000 euros plus company pension 150 euros, with children
72 euros a month, company pension below the threshold
Maximum, childless
244.13 euros a month
Statutory values, as of October 2026: rate 3.6 per cent, childless surcharge 0.6 points,
contribution ceiling 5,812.50 euros, threshold for company pensions 197.75 euros a month.
Worked example
Retired couple, one adult son
He receives a 1,800 euro statutory pension and a 400 euro company pension, she a 1,100 euro pension. Both are compulsorily insured.
He: 3.6 per cent on 1,800 euros pension
64.80 euros
He: 3.6 per cent on 400 euros company pension
14.40 euros
She: 3.6 per cent on 1,100 euros pension
39.60 euros
Together per month
118.80 euros
About 1,426 euros a year for long-term care insurance. Without a child it would be 138.60 euros a month for both together.
Why pensioners pay the full contribution
During working life, employees and employers share the long-term care contribution. In retirement that half falls away: pensioners pay the contributions on their statutory pension alone (§ 59 (1) SGB XI, Social Code Book XI). The pension fund deducts them directly and passes them to the care fund.
Health insurance works differently: there the pension fund pays half. Many people only notice the difference with their first pension notice, when the care deduction is twice what it was on the payslip.
How much long-term care insurance pensioners pay by pension
The rate in 2026 is 3.6 per cent. Childless people pay 0.6 points more, so 4.2 per cent (§ 55 (3) SGB XI). Parents of several children get a reduction of 0.25 points per child from the second, but only for children under 25. Most pensioners' children are older, so the full 3.6 per cent applies.
Income only counts up to the contribution ceiling of 5,812.50 euros a month. Above that the contribution does not rise further.
Monthly pension
With children (3.6 per cent)
Childless (4.2 per cent)
1,000 euros
36.00 euros
42.00 euros
1,500 euros
54.00 euros
63.00 euros
2,000 euros
72.00 euros
84.00 euros
3,000 euros
108.00 euros
126.00 euros
5,812.50 euros and more
209.25 euros
244.13 euros
Company pensions and other income
Compulsorily insured pensioners also pay care contributions on company pensions and similar benefits (Versorgungsbezüge), again alone. In health insurance there is an allowance of 197.75 euros a month (2026). In care insurance there is only a threshold of the same amount: if the company pension is higher, all of it counts (§ 57 (1) SGB XI with § 226 (2) SGB V).
Voluntarily insured pensioners pay on all income, including rent and investment income, up to the contribution ceiling.
Privately insured pensioners
If you have private health insurance, you also have private compulsory care insurance (private Pflegepflichtversicherung). Its premium depends on the tariff and your age when you joined, not on your pension. The pension fund pays a subsidy towards health insurance only (§ 106 SGB VI), not towards care.
Privately insured pensioners should therefore look for the care premium in their insurer's annual statement.
What the contribution does not cover
German statutory care insurance only covers part of the cost. In a care home a large personal share usually remains, paid from pension and savings. So the contribution says nothing about how well you are protected if you need care.
Private supplementary care insurance becomes expensive at pension age and usually requires health questions. If you are still healthy at 60, it is worth checking. At NAMMERT, Norman Nammert acts as an insurance broker and compares care tariffs; the insurer pays his commission.
Step by step
Check the care deduction on your pension notice.
Make sure the pension fund knows you are a parent, otherwise the surcharge applies.
Compare company pensions with the 197.75 euro threshold.
If privately insured, find the care premium in the annual statement.
Plan the care home gap separately.
Checklist
Rate on the pension notice checked
Proof of children reported to the pension fund
Company pension included in the calculation
Personal share in a care home roughly worked out
Private provision checked while health questions are manageable
Common mistakes
Expecting the pension fund to pay half the care contribution
Assuming the health insurance allowance also applies to care
Paying the childless surcharge as a parent because proof is missing
Thinking the contribution means the cost of care is fully covered
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Do pensioners pay the full care contribution?
Yes, pensioners pay it on their pension alone, 3.6 per cent in 2026 or 4.2 per cent if childless.
Why did my care contribution go up in retirement?
Because the employer's share falls away.
A rise in the rate may come on top.
Do I pay care contributions on my company pension?
Yes, if it exceeds 197.75 euros a month, then on the full amount.
Do parents get a reduction in retirement?
Only for children under 25.
Adult children still exempt you from the childless surcharge for good.
Is there a maximum contribution?
Yes.
In 2026 income counts up to 5,812.50 euros,
giving at most 209.25 euros or 244.13 euros if childless.
