Single parents face special requirements to combine parenting, daily living and work. To support them there are several state benefits for single parents:
1. Separate Maintenance/ alimony: Every child is basically entitled to maintenance! In the process, the parent with whom the child lives makes its contribution through the care and upbringing of the child, while the other parent has to pay alimony. If you receive no or too little alimony, you can apply for a so-called maintenance advance at the responsible youth welfare office.
2. Parental allowance: Single parents can claim 14 months parental allowance. The amount of the parental allowance is based on the income that the caring parent had in the year before the birth.
3. Child benefit: In the case of separated or divorced parents, child benefit is paid in full to the parent in whose household the child lives. The child benefit is considered when calculating the amount of alimony.
4. Child supplement is granted to single parents who are able to cover their own needs in principle, but do not have sufficient financial resources to cover the needs of their children.
5. Housing benefit: Single parents with low incomes can apply for housing allowance (rent subsidy) if they pay the rent of their apartment themselves and receive no further social benefits (Hartz IV, social assistance).
In addition to the youth welfare office, charitable organizations offer advice and support, such as the Caritas, the churches or non-profit associations. As a rule, as with the youth welfare office, counselling is free of charge.
Information and consultation in Niedersachsen:
Association of single mothers and fathers - Niedersachsen: www.vamv-niedersachsen.de/service/beratungsangebote
Families in Niedersachsen: www.familien-mit-zukunft.de/?5528F26B0A0CA6CE7DCB0852B56D1D52
Diakonie Niedersachsen: www.diakonie-in-niedersachsen.de/pages/mitgliederservices/soziale_themen/soziale_arbeit_und_beratung/familienhilfe___alleinerziehendenarbeit_/alleinerziehende/index
Networking office: www.vernetzungsstelle.de/?B6F8B782E6495F2D90645982C8DBDB0A
Foundation families in need: www.ms.niedersachsen.de/themen/unsere_stiftungen/familie_not/wem-und-wie-hilft-die-stiftung-familie-in-not--14374.html