# Child disability insurance in Germany: cover if your child is left with a lasting severe impairment > Child accident insurance asks how something happened. Child disability insurance (Kinderinvaliditätsversicherung) asks what is left afterwards. It pays a monthly pension, a lump sum or both if a child is left severely impaired by an accident or an illness, usually from a degree of disability of 50. Since most severe disabilities are caused by illness, it closes the bigger gap. Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-child-disability-insurance.php Updated: 2026-10-31 ## Does my child need disability insurance in Germany? If both parents already have life cover and income protection and the budget allows it, yes: it is the most complete cover available for a child. Around 90 percent of severe disabilities in Germany are caused by illness and under 1 percent by accidents. Child accident insurance is far cheaper but only covers that small share. What matters most is timing: apply while your child is healthy and nothing is noted in the medical record. ## At a glance - **Mandatory?:** No - **Trigger:** usually a degree of disability (Grad der Behinderung) of at least 50, assessed by the pensions office - **Causes of severe disability:** about 90 percent illness, just under 1 percent accident - **Type of benefit:** monthly pension, often for life, a lump sum or both - **Premium of good plans:** about EUR 107 to 421 a year in the 2020 Stiftung Warentest review, some higher since ## Disability cover or accident cover: the difference is the cause Child accident insurance only pays when a sudden external event injures the body. Leukaemia, severe meningitis or diabetes with complications are not accidents, so it pays nothing. Child disability insurance looks at the outcome instead: if the child is left with a lasting severe impairment, it pays, whether an accident or an illness is behind it. Not every policy sold under this name does that in full. In the 2020 review by Stiftung Warentest, Germany's consumer testing foundation, 7 of 11 policies paid for accidents and any illness, the rest only for accidents and a list of named illnesses. The policy wording tells you which kind you are buying, the product name does not. ## Degree of disability, pension and lump sum: how a plan pays Most plans pay from a degree of disability of 50, the point at which German law speaks of severe disability (§ 2 SGB IX). The pensions office (Versorgungsamt) sets the degree using official medical guidelines, and the insurer relies on that decision. Some plans pay part of the benefit below 50, others only pay in full from 80. A pension carries the cost over decades, a lump sum pays for adapting your home and car straight away. Many families combine both, for example a lifelong monthly pension plus a one off payment. Check whether the pension really runs for life or stops at a fixed age. ## Health questions: apply early, answer honestly German insurers ask about check ups, developmental issues, therapies and hospital stays. If the child's health booklet (das gelbe Heft) records a suspected condition, the application is often declined or accepted with an exclusion. Many plans accept babies a few weeks after birth, which is usually the cheapest and easiest moment. If you leave out findings, the insurer may withdraw from the contract when you claim. Fill in the form with the health booklet and doctors' letters in front of you. A disability or serious illness that has already been diagnosed can no longer be insured. ## What is covered - Lasting severe impairment caused by illness, in good plans without a list of named illnesses - Lasting severe impairment caused by an accident, around the clock and worldwide - Monthly disability pension, often for life - One off lump sum for home adaptation, aids and a suitable car - Depending on the plan, an accident module paying by a fixed table below the main trigger - Depending on the plan, conversion to adult cover without new health questions - Depending on the plan, premium waiver if a parent dies ## What is not covered - Illnesses and disabilities known or present before the application - Depending on the plan, mental illness and developmental disorders such as autism or eating disorders - Impairments below the agreed degree of disability - Illnesses missing from the list, in plans that use one - War and nuclear risks - Treatment costs, which the health insurer pays ## Who needs it - Families where both parents already have life cover and income protection - Parents of newborns and toddlers with no health concerns so far - Single parents whose income would be lost if the child needed full time care - Self employed parents who cannot simply cut back work to provide care ## Who does not need it - Families where the parents themselves are not yet insured: cover the parents first - Children with a disability that has already been diagnosed and can no longer be insured - Teenagers from about 10, where disability income cover for pupils may protect them for longer ## What it costs The premium depends mainly on the size of the pension and lump sum, the child's age at the start and whether the plan pays for any illness. It costs several times as much as child accident insurance because it carries the far more common risk. **What drives the premium:** - Size of the monthly pension and the lump sum - Age of the child when the policy starts - Cover for any illness or only named illnesses - Pension duration: for life or up to a fixed age - Trigger: full benefit from 50 or a sliding scale - Indexation and extras such as premium waiver _The range of about EUR 107 to 421 a year comes from the Stiftung Warentest review of 2020, there are no newer comparison figures. Your premium is only fixed in the quote._ ## The policy levels on the market - **Basic:** Accidents plus a list of named serious illnesses, paid as a lump sum from a degree of 50. Better than accident cover alone, but anything not on the list stays uncovered. - **Standard:** Pays for accidents and any illness, pension or lump sum, with the option to switch to adult cover later. The sensible choice for most families. - **Premium:** Lifelong pension plus lump sum, few exclusions, mental illness included, premium waiver if a parent dies and indexation without new health questions. ## How to recognise a good policy | Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Causes | accidents and named illnesses | accidents and any illness | Most severe disabilities come from illnesses that appear on no list. | | Trigger | degree of disability 50, full benefit only from 80 or 100 | full benefit from 50 | Many cases fall between 50 and 80 and still leave the family with high costs. | | Pension duration | up to a fixed age | for life | A child with a severe disability often needs the money for a whole life, not just until 25. | | Mental illness | excluded | included, developmental disorders too | Autism or severe eating disorders in particular can lead to a high degree of disability. | | Waiting period for illness | several months or more | short or none | An illness that starts during the waiting period stays excluded for good. | | Switch to adult cover | policy ends at 18 or 25 | conversion without new health questions | A 25 year old with a chronic condition will otherwise not get new cover. | | Premium waiver | none | premiums stop if the paying parent dies or can no longer work | The child's cover should not lapse exactly when the family needs it most. | ## Insurers on the German market Only a few German insurers sell real child disability cover, and some have stopped taking new customers. The list names companies that had a children's plan in the 2020 Stiftung Warentest review. It is a market overview, not a statement about today's terms or about which insurers we work with. - **Barmenia**: insurer from Wuppertal, agents and brokers - **Allianz**: child disability as an add on to accident cover, agents and brokers - **CosmosDirekt**: direct insurer of the Generali group, buy online - **DEVK**: insurer with roots in the German railways, own sales force - **ERGO**: owned by Munich Re, agents, brokers and direct sales - **AXA**: German arm of the French AXA group - **Versicherungskammer Bayern**: public sector insurer in Bavaria, mostly via savings banks and agents - **WGV**: direct insurer from Stuttgart 123 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Unfall, Summenversicherung). Source: BaFin company database, 2026-09-18; EU insurers without a German office excluded. ## Typical claims and who pays - **Leukaemia with lasting effects** (lifelong extra costs and lost income: six figures): Plans with a list of illnesses pay only if cancer is on it and the degree is reached. Plans without a list pay for any illness once the agreed degree of disability is set. - **Fall from a climbing frame** (paraplegia: home, car and care, six figures): An accident with severe lasting effects is covered at every level. How much is paid depends only on the agreed pension and lump sum. - **Meningitis, hearing loss** (aids, support and school assistance: five to six figures): An infection is not an accident. Basic plans pay only if the illness is listed, strong plans just look at the degree of disability. - **Autism diagnosed at six** (therapy, care, a parent working part time: six figures): Many policies exclude developmental disorders and mental illness. Only a few plans pay here, and often with restrictions. - **Heart defect known before applying** (surgery and lifelong follow up): No plan covers what was diagnosed or present before the application. That is why it pays to apply while the health booklet is still clear. - **Torn ligament, minor lasting damage** (physiotherapy, slight loss of movement): A degree of disability of 50 is not reached, so the disability benefit is not paid. If the plan includes an accident module, it pays a share by the fixed table. ## Myth or truth - „Most severe disabilities in children are caused by accidents." ✘ False. Across all age groups around 90 percent of severe disabilities in Germany are caused by illness and just under 1 percent by accidents. That is why accident cover alone is not enough. - „The earlier I insure my child, the easier it is to get cover." ✔ True. In the first months there are usually no findings that lead to a refusal or exclusion. Every later entry in the health booklet can cost cover. - „Every child disability policy pays for every illness." ✘ False. Some plans pay only for accidents and a list of named illnesses, many exclude mental illness. Only the policy wording shows what applies. - „A severely disabled child can stay in family health cover beyond the age of 25." ✔ True. If a child cannot support themselves because of a disability that began within the normal age limits, family cover continues with no age limit. - „School accident cover also pays for lasting effects of an illness." ✘ False. The statutory accident fund covers only accidents at nursery, school and on the way there. It pays nothing for illness or for leisure time. ## Common mistakes - Treating child accident insurance as an equal substitute - Waiting to apply until the first concern appears in the health booklet - Leaving out findings or therapies in the health questions - Insuring the child before the parents have their own cover - Buying a plan with a list of illnesses without noticing - Choosing a pension that stops at 25 instead of running for life ## FAQ ### What is the difference between child disability and child accident insurance? Child accident insurance pays only after an accident, child disability insurance also after an illness. Since illness is by far the more common cause of severe disability, it covers the bigger risk, but it costs several times as much. ### When does child disability insurance pay? Usually from a degree of disability of 50 set by the pensions office. Some plans pay part of the benefit below that, others pay in full only from 80 or 100. This is one of the most important points to compare. ### When should I apply? As early as possible. Many plans accept babies a few weeks after birth. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that a finding in the medical record leads to a refusal or an exclusion. ### Does it pay for autism or ADHD? It depends heavily on the plan. Many policies exclude mental illness and developmental disorders or pay only in exceptional cases. If this matters to you, choose a plan that includes them and read the clause carefully. ### Pension or lump sum: which is better? A lifelong pension covers running costs for decades. A lump sum helps straight away with adapting a home or car. Many families choose a mix, for example a monthly pension plus a one off payment. ### What does the German state pay if my child is severely disabled? The statutory health insurer pays for treatment and aids under its rules, and a disabled child can stay in free family cover with no age limit (§ 10 SGB V). Long term care insurance and tax allowances may add to that. None of it replaces a parent's lost income. ### What happens when my child grows up? Children's policies usually end at 18 or 25. Good plans let you switch to adult cover, such as accident or critical abilities insurance, without new health questions. Ask about this before you sign. ### Can I take out this cover as an expat living in Germany? Usually yes, if your child lives in Germany and you have a German address and bank account. The application and policy documents are normally in German, so it helps to have someone explain the health questions before you sign. ## Legal basis and sources - [Insurance Contract Act (VVG, German)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/vvg_2008/) - [BaFin company database (licensed insurers)](https://portal.mvp.bafin.de/database/InstInfo/) ## Request quotes We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-child-disability-insurance.php#anfrage --- Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT. Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act. Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company. It does not arrange your contract. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.