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Didn’t Receive Child Benefit? Here’s What You Can Do

Child Benefit not received?. Kindergeld – Child benefits in Germany. Child benefit (Kindergeld) is important financial help for everyday life. Since last year, it has increased to 250 euros per month, an amount all families look forward to. However, sometimes the money does not reach your account. If the Family Fund has not sent the child benefit, you should check into it. There are different reasons why the payment might not be made. Here are some possible reasons.

Child benefit not transferred: application issues

  • Incomplete documents: If certain documents or information are missing from the application, this can delay processing.
  • Claim not yet processed: Due to the high workload at the family fund, processing claims can sometimes take longer than expected. 

Banking problems

  • Incorrect account information: Bank details may not have been provided correctly or there may have been changes that were not communicated, Familien Portal reports.
  • Problems at the bank: It may also happen at the bank itself has experienced interuptions or problems that prevented or delayed the transfer.

Change in Living conditions

  • Age of the child: Child benefit is usually paid only up to a certain age. In Germany, this is generally up to 18 years old and in some cases up to 25
  • Change of residence: Moving or changing your address without notifying the authorities can cause payment issues.

Other reasons for payment terminations

Payment may be stopped if the family fund believes that the payment requirements are no longer met. There can also be bureaucratic errors in the administration of the family fund.
Read also: Kindergeld payment dates in July 2024: Funds to be transferred earlier

If the child benefit has not arrived as expected, you should contact the responsible family fund to resolve the issue. Have all relevant documents ready, such as your child benefit number (Kindergeldnummer), application documents, correspondence with the family fund, and bank statements to speed up the process. If you don’t know which family fund is responsible for you, you can use the search feature at the Federal Employment Agency’s office. Enter your place of residence and select “Family Fund” from the filters. This will provide you with the contact details of the responsible authority.