Unterhaltsvorschuss für Kinder von Alleinerziehenden beantragen

Are you a single parent and receive no or only partial maintenance from the other parent? Then you can apply for an advance on maintenance payments under certain conditions.

You will receive advance maintenance payments for your child if you are raising it in your household without another parent against whom the child is entitled to maintenance. However, this maintenance is not paid by the other parent or the person obliged to pay maintenance, or is paid incompletely or irregularly.

The child's center of life must clearly be in your household. You must not have married a new partner.

If the eligibility requirements are met, the maintenance advance will be paid to you until your child reaches the age of majority. The limit on the duration of receipt (previously a maximum of 72 months) has been lifted.

The amount of the maintenance advance is based on the minimum maintenance amount.

If the single parent is entitled to full child benefit, the maintenance advance in Lower Saxony has been as follows since January 1, 2025

• 227.00 euros per month for children up to 5 years of age
• for children from 6 to 11 years 299.00 euros per month
• for children from 12 to 17 years 394.00 euros per month

After the age of 12, your child is only entitled to maintenance if one of the following conditions is met:

• You or your child do not receive citizen's allowance.
• Advance maintenance payments can prevent your child from needing assistance.
• You have a gross monthly income of at least 600 euros and receive supplementary citizen's allowance.

This ensures that all children receive an advance on maintenance payments if necessary. At the same time, an important incentive is created for households that are not in need of assistance or that could become independent of basic income support benefits through their own earned income to secure their own livelihood.

The maintenance advance is always paid at the beginning of a calendar month and can be applied for retroactively for one month.

The application form

Depending on the individual case, the following may also be required

• the birth certificate of the child concerned
• the identity card of the single parent
• for foreign children or parents: identity card and valid proof of residence permit
• confirmation of registration or information from the population register
• the maintenance title: current maintenance determination, maintenance certificate, judgment, order
• in the case of separation of a marriage: divorce decree
• if applicable, letter from the lawyer about the date of separation
• the current tax card
• for unmarried parents: Acknowledgment or establishment of paternity
• Proof of income:
• Child benefit
• Half-orphan's pension, if applicable
• Maintenance payments, if applicable
• If applicable, approval/employment notices on benefits under the Maintenance Advance Act from other maintenance advance funds

The following conditions must be met before advance maintenance payments can be granted:

• Child maintenance is not paid or is only paid in part.
• Your child is resident or habitually resident in Germany.
• The parent is a single parent (also widowed, for example).
• The parent and the child must live in the same household.

Foreign children are only entitled if they have certain residence permits.

There are no costs.

1. Filing an application
2. Examination of responsibility and the existence of the facts of the case
3. Approval or rejection-3a. in case of intended rejection, hearing prior to rejection

Depending on the availability of all necessary documents/information and ab Depending on the availability of all necessary documents/information.

Depending on whether the non-custodial parent is in default,

One month retroactively

• Children between the ages of 12 and 18 are only entitled to advance maintenance payments if the child is not dependent on SGB II benefits or if the single parent in receipt of SGB II benefits earns a gross income of at least 600 euros.
• The other parent must repay the maintenance advance to the maintenance advance office. If the debtor does not pay, the maintenance advance office can sue for repayment and enforce it.

Objection (deadline: 1 month)

Maintenance advance approval

Under certain conditions, a child can receive maintenance advance.

Prerequisites:

Child maintenance is not paid or is only paid in part

The child is resident or habitually resident in Germany

Foreign children are only entitled to this if they have certain residence permits.

Children up to the age of 18

Parent is a single parent (e.g. also widowed)

Parent and child must live in the same household

Advance maintenance payments can also be granted if it is not clear who the father is

Amount from 01.01.2023:

Children up to 5 years EUR 187.00 per month

Children from 6 to 11 years EUR 252.00 per month

Children from 12 to 17 years EUR 338.00 per month

Responsible: Maintenance advance office of the municipality, youth welfare office

To the local youth welfare office, maintenance advance office of the municipality

According to § 8 sentence 1 of the Ordinance on Responsibilities in the Fields of Health and Social Law (ZustVO-GuS), the municipalities that have established a youth welfare office and otherwise the districts are responsible in Lower Saxony for implementing the Maintenance Advance Act in the version dated July 17, 2007 (BGBl. I. p. 1446), last amended by Article 23 of the Act dated August 14, 2017 (BGBl. I p. 3122).

Informal application is possible.

Personal appearance not necessary, but useful with regard to recourse.

Online services:Yes, an EFA service (UVO-Unterhaltsvorschuss Online) in preparation