Information on the application for child sickness benefit in case of pandemic-related care of the child (§ 45 para. 2a SGB V)
2021-01-27
In order to relieve parents during the Corona pandemic, the legislator has extended the entitlement to children's sickness benefit for 2021. The entitlement exists for those with statutory health insurance and is claimed via the health insurance funds. Parents whose job would allow them to work from home can also claim the time off and the children's sickness benefit.
The following maximum limits apply:
* Parent couples receive 20 days per parent and child.
* Single parents receive 40 days per child
* Couples and single parents with two children can claim a maximum of 80 days. If there are more than two children, the entitlement increases to a maximum of 90 days per parent couple or single parent.
This entitlement applies to children who have not yet reached the age of twelve or who are disabled and dependent on assistance.
What is new is that the entitlement does not only apply if the child is ill, but also if the child has to be looked after at home due to the pandemic because:
* school, day-care centre or care facility is closed
* the child has to be quarantined
* compulsory attendance is suspended by the authorities
* parents are requested to care for their child at home.
A medical certificate is required if the child is ill. The basis for recourse in the event of closure/restriction of schools and day-care centres is the certificate of the respective care facility. It is recommended that you enquire about the conditions of your own health insurance fund in this regard, as different procedures may apply with regard to proof, and in some cases proof may not be required. A sample certificate from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth can be found in the link from the Ministry below.
How to apply in these cases:
- Application is only possible for working days actually affected (i.e. not the weekend).
- Communication to superiors by employee please
- Please send the original of the completed application for children's sickness benefit in the case of pandemic-related care of the child (enquiry of the application with the health insurance fund) to the Personnel Service of Leuphana University Lüneburg, for the attention of Dagmar Rüther, Universitätsallee 1, 21335 Lüneburg (dagmar.ruether@leuphana.de, Tel.: 677-1029) before submitting it to the health insurance fund (as with "Kind-krank").
- Should questions or additions to the application become necessary, Dagmar Rüther will contact the staff members concerned as soon as possible.
- The original application will be returned to the applicant with the letter of exemption for submission to the health insurance fund.
- information on the suspension of remuneration is sent by the personnel service to the NLBV, which forwards the remuneration data to the respective health insurance fund
- In this case, Dagmar Rüther enters the data into the time recording system.
Applications by those concerned who are civil servants are examined with regard to the possibilities for leave in accordance with the regulations of the Lower Saxony Special Leave Ordinance. Dagmar Rüther is also the contact person in the Personnel Service in this regard.
Privately insured parents can still claim compensation under the Infection Protection Act if they have to care for their children at home.
Finally, a link from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, containing the sample certificate mentioned above and information on the Infection Protection Act:
https://www.bmfsfj.de/bmfsfj/kinderbetreuung-bei-schul--und-kitaschliessungen/164594