Child sickness benefit: Financial expert predicts easier changes for parents

Child sickness benefit: Financial expert predicts easier changes for parents

According to a report from www.fr.de, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is planning to ease child sickness benefits. Parents who have a sick child under the age of 12 can take time off work and receive child sickness benefit from the health insurance company. Previously, parents had to take their child to the doctor on the first day of illness in order to apply for child sickness benefit. Lauterbach would like to abolish this bureaucratic hurdle and only make it necessary to visit the doctor from the fourth day of illness.

This change would make things easier for parents as they would no longer have to immediately run to the doctor with their sick child, thereby saving them time and effort. The planned change should ideally come into effect this winter cold season.

This measure was described as a step in the right direction by the President of the Professional Association of Pediatricians and Adolescents, Thomas Fischbach. Nevertheless, he is in favor of exempting doctors from the attestation requirement, as the parents' justification for using children's sick days is often not verifiable.

However, it should be noted that a law has already passed the Bundestag which increases the number of days for which parents can apply for child sickness benefit. From 2024, there will actually be 10 child sick days per year per parent again. In the pandemic year 2021, the number of children's sick days was 30 per parent. The law increases the number for 2024 and 2025 to 15 days per child and parent. Single parents are generally entitled to 30 days per child. Child sickness benefit usually amounts to 90 percent of net earnings and is paid out by the health insurance company. The law still needs to be approved by the Federal Council.

The planned change and increase in child sick days may have an impact on the labor market and the financial sector. Employers may have to expect a higher number of employees to call in sick as parents can now stay at home longer to care for their sick children. This could lead to increased workloads and short-term bottlenecks in companies. Health insurance companies may have to plan for higher expenses for child sickness benefit because more parents are entitled to it.

It remains to be seen whether the planned law to ease child sickness benefits will be passed and how the resulting changes will affect the market and the financial sector.