Standing in line for parental allowance: SPD aims for Bremen solution!

Standing in line for parental allowance: SPD aims for Bremen solution!

There is great frustration among many parents in Hamburg. They wait for months for their parental allowance and thus fight against financial bottlenecks. A particularly striking example occurred in May 2023, when affected parents demonstrated in front of the Eimsbüttel district office to draw attention to their fears for their existence. This is where the Eimsbüttel SPD parliamentary group comes into play: It has submitted an application to examine a bridging model that has already been successfully implemented in Bremen and could help parents in similar situations. The Bremen model stipulated that parents could apply for a transitional loan within just two days, which was later offset against the parental allowance. In Hamburg, where the average processing time for a parental allowance application is currently around 88 days, this could represent a significantly faster solution.

But why do these long waiting times come about? A combination of the introduction of new software, unforeseen vacancies in offices and missing documents from applicants has slowed down the processing processes. The SPD parliamentary group is aware of this and sees the Bremen concept as a possible solution. Between September 2016 and May 2017, over 250 bridging loans were disbursed in Bremen, providing families with financial security while they waited for their parental allowance applications to be finally processed. This could serve as a model for Hamburg.

Parental allowance: Important support for families

But what is actually behind parental allowance? This financial support is intended to relieve the burden on mothers and fathers who want to work less or stay at home after the birth of a child. The parental allowance is calculated by the responsible parental allowance office and is based on the average monthly net income of the caring parent in the period before the birth. A maximum of 2,770 euros is taken into account as income here. For non-self-employed parents, the assessment period is the last 12 months before the birth, while self-employed parents can use the last tax assessment period.

The amount of parental allowance varies. While the basic elements are a minimum of 300 and a maximum of 1,800 euros, there are also special regulations such as the sibling bonus of 10% of the parental allowance, which can provide additional financial support if an older sibling lives in the household.

Digital processing and increasing demand

Nowadays, the digital element is becoming increasingly important when applying for parental allowance. The application can now be submitted digitally in all federal states, which shows a growing trend towards paperless processing. Interestingly, the use of Parental Allowance Plus, which offers parents a longer-term payment option, has increased: almost 42.3% of mothers and around 20.6% of fathers are already using this model.

It remains to be seen whether Hamburg will draw inspiration from Bremen and actually introduce the bridging loan. Time is of the essence because the burdens on families in the Hanseatic city are high. In the future, such a model could provide noticeable relief for many parents. Interested parents can find more information about calculating parental allowance on the website Service Bremen or that Federal Ministry for Family Affairs.