Unterhaltsvorschuss Bewilligung

You are a single parent and receive no or irregular maintenance from the other parent for your child? Then you can apply for advance maintenance payments.

Advance maintenance payments are a state benefit for children of single parents. It helps to secure the financial basis of your child's life if the other parent does not pay maintenance or only pays it partially or not regularly.

You must raise the child in your household without the other parent. The child's center of life must clearly be in your household. You must not have married a new partner.

If all requirements are met, the maintenance advance will be paid to you until your child reaches the age of majority.

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

Since 01.01.2025, the following amounts apply:

• for children up to 5 years EUR 227 per month
• for children from 6 to 11 years EUR 299 per month
• for children from 12 to 18 years EUR 394 per month

After the age of 12, your child is only entitled to maintenance under further conditions, see section "Conditions".

• Supporting titles

  If available: Maintenance certificate, court order - judgment or proof of service of the maintenance claim.

• Valid residence permit

  In case of foreign citizenship. With additional sheet, if necessary.

• Divorce decree or judgment

  If you are divorced.

• birth certificate of the child
• Identity card or passport
• Child support decision
• Acknowledgement of paternity

  If you are not or were not married: Deed, order or judgment.

• Indemnification agreement

  If available.

• Proof of the time of separation

  If you are married but live permanently separated from your spouse because the continuation of the marital partnership is refused by one of the spouses.

  Example: Confirmation from your lawyer.

• (Reminder) letter

  If available: (Dunning) letters in connection with the assertion of child support claims.

• Evidence of the child's income from property and work

  If available: for example, income from interest, work, or educational remuneration of the child.

In principle, children who meet the following requirements are eligible:

• The child has not yet reached the age of 18; and
• The child lives with only one parent in a joint household, and
• The child does not receive child support or alimony from the other parent, or
• The child receives child support payments that are less than the prevailing statutory child support advance rate.

If the child has reached the age of 12, the following rules apply:

• The child does not receive benefits for basic security under the Second Social Code (SGB II) from the Bremen Job Center. Or:
• The child receives benefits for basic security according to the Second Social Code (SGB II) from the Jobcenter Bremen and at the same time the single parent earns an income of at least €600.00 per month.
• Or: Due to the granting of the advance on maintenance payments, the child is no longer dependent on basic security benefits (cessation of need for assistance). This also applies if the single parent has an income of less than 600.00 € per month.

Children with foreign citizenship can also receive advance maintenance payments under certain conditions. Eligibility is checked on a case-by-case basis. Requirements for the child or single parent (examples):

• Citizenship of an EU country
• Citizenship of Switzerland
• Possession of a settlement permit
• Possession of an EU Blue Card
• ICT card
• Residence title according to § 1 para. 2a UhVorschG.

You can apply for advance maintenance payments via the online service or in paper form.

Online service

• The online service guides you step by step through the application process.
• You can submit the required documents digitally.
• You can temporarily save your entries for 30 days.
• You need a service account to complete and submit the online application. If you do not yet have a service account, you can register for one. You can do this during the online application process.
• You will receive the notification by post.

Paper form

• You can find the application to print out here in the service portal under "Forms" or on site at the responsible office in paper form.
• Complete the application.
• Attach a copy of the required documents to the application.
• Send everything by post or hand in the documents on site. The completed application should be handed in to the responsible office.
• You will receive the decision by post.

Appeal

• You can appeal against the decision. You can file an appeal with the Office for Social Services.
• The objection must be filed within 1 month in writing, in electronic form or in writing.

Advance

• If the other parent would be able to pay the child support, this is an advance on the child support, which the child support advance office recovers from the parent who is actually obliged to pay the child support.

Asylum procedure

• With a residence permit (i.e. during an asylum procedure), you cannot receive an advance on maintenance for your child.

Toleration

• If you are staying in Germany with a Duldung (tolerated stay), you also cannot receive advance maintenance payments for your child.
• Exception: With an employment toleration you can receive maintenance advance.