Families with a child with autism could receive different care benefits in future. Germany’s federal government plans higher budgets, up to €300 a month for everyday support for young people in need of care, and at the same time the abolition of an existing benefit at care level 1 (Pflegegrad). But more money on paper does not automatically mean more support. This is shown by a look at the draft Care Reorganisation Act (Pflegeneuordnungsgesetz), which the Federal Cabinet adopted on 30 September 2026.
Important: The reform has not yet been passed. Until it possibly comes into force, the existing rules apply.
Care allowance: higher amounts, but a different system
Anyone who is cared for at home and has at least care level 2 can receive care allowance (Pflegegeld). In 2026 this is €347 a month at care level 2, €599 at care level 3, €800 at care level 4 and €990 at care level 5. At care level 1 there is no entitlement to care allowance.
Instead, the draft bill provides for a new relief budget. Among other things, care allowance and certain other care benefits are to be financed from it. For care levels 2 to 5, €380, €630, €890 and €1,080 a month respectively are planned.
These figures cannot simply be compared with today’s care allowance. In future, benefits for which separate entitlements currently exist, such as certain care aids and substitute care, are also to be paid from the same budget. Whether families end up better off financially therefore depends on which kinds of help they use.
Which benefits are currently possible side by side is explained in our guide to care allowance, respite care and the relief amount.
Up to €300 for young people in need of care
Another proposal concerns the so-called community budget (Sozialraumbudget). At care levels 2 to 5 it is to replace the current relief amount (Entlastungsbetrag). Up to €300 a month is planned for people under 25, and up to €175 from the age of 25.
Families with children in need of care in particular could benefit, as it could help them organise support in everyday life. However, the money would be earmarked: recognised services, for example care or relief in the home, are to be paid for. It would be no additional, freely available care allowance and would not be paid out merely because of an autism diagnosis.
According to the draft, fewer types of use are also to be possible than with the current relief amount. Unused amounts could no longer be carried over to later months. Whether suitable, recognised services are available locally would therefore also be decisive.
Care level 1: the current €131 is to be abolished
For people at care level 1, the reform contains a drastic change. The current relief amount of up to €131 a month is to be abolished. The new community budget would only be accessible from care level 2.
Instead, the federal government is relying on additional advice and a new care companionship service (Pflegebegleitung). According to the draft, however, the more comprehensive care companionship is not to begin until 2029. For families who regularly use the €131 today for recognised everyday help, advice would not be an equivalent financial substitute.
New thresholds for care assessments
The draft bill also provides for higher point thresholds for classification. Today care level 1 begins at 12.5 points and care level 2 at 27 points. In future, 15 and 30 points respectively are to be required; the threshold for care level 3 is also to rise.
This could affect new applicants if, under the same assessment criteria, they in future reach a lower care level or none at all. How many people would actually be affected has therefore not yet been clarified.
Anyone who already has a care level is not to lose it solely because of the new thresholds, according to the draft. However, this grandfathering does not mean that all existing individual benefits will remain unchanged.
What this means for families with autism
A care level is not granted solely on the basis of an autism diagnosis. What matters are the limitations in independence and the permanent need for support. For children, what is taken into account is which skills children of the same age without impairments usually already have.
A family whose child needs a lot of help, for example with looking after themselves, coping with stress or everyday routines, can have it checked whether a care level may be an option. How the assessment works is explained in our article Care level in autism.
What parents should bear in mind now
As long as the reform is not in force, existing entitlements do not change merely because of the draft bill. Families should therefore not postpone applications and should continue to use current benefits as before.
It helps to record the actual need for support in everyday life and to document the costs of existing relief services. If a law is passed, those affected should check the transitional rules and the information from their care insurance fund (Pflegekasse). We present further points of contact in the article Relief for families: an overview of services.
Conclusion: what matters is which help actually arrives
The planned €300 for young people in need of care could relieve families. At the same time, people at care level 1 risk losing up to €131 a month, and higher care budgets would combine benefits that have so far been separate.
Whether people with autism and their relatives ultimately benefit therefore depends not only on new amounts but also on the rules for using them and on what is available locally. It is still only a draft bill.
Sources
Federal Ministry of Health: Cabinet draft of the Care Reorganisation Act of 30 September 2026 (in German).
Federal Ministry of Health: Questions and answers on the Care Reorganisation Act (in German).
Federal Ministry of Health: Care insurance entitlements 2026 (in German).
Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection: Section 15 SGB XI – determining the care level (statute text in German).
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