Maternity pension for the self-employed: How to secure an extra pension!

Maternity pension for the self-employed: How to secure an extra pension!

Self-employed people have the opportunity to receive a statutory pension, similar to salaried employees. This is particularly relevant for parents who can acquire additional pension rights through child-rearing periods, a concept known as “mother’s pension”. Loud stern.de Parents receive a monthly pension of 122 euros per child. To qualify for the pension, people must provide evidence of at least five years of pension insurance.

As a rule, a parent with two children has already accumulated six years of pension. Child-rearing periods are normally attributed to the mother, with two and a half pension years being recognized for children born before 1992. From 2027, all parents should receive three years of child-rearing time for each child, regardless of the year of birth. This model is also known as “mother’s pension 3”.

Acquisition of pension rights

The recognition of child-rearing time is not only limited to mothers, but is also open to fathers and other parents. Parents can divide these times between themselves, but must make a joint declaration in the first years of the child's life. In addition, self-employed people with only one child or two children whose parenting times are divided can supplement missing pension years through voluntary payments.

These voluntary contributions to the German pension insurance are tax deductible and can be chosen within certain limits. The minimum contribution for these deposits is currently 103.42 euros per month, while the maximum amount is 1,404.30 euros. An example shows that a deposit of 2,442 euros, which corresponds to the minimum contribution of two years, together with three years of raising children can give rise to a pension entitlement of almost 134 euros in monthly pension.

Important information about the mother’s pension

Pension entitlements increase annually with wages, and the pension increase from July 1, 2025 was 3.74 percent. However, parents must ensure that they receive the mother's pension before making payments, as periods of child-rearing are only recognized if there are no other child pension claims. An account clarification or a consultation with the German pension insurance company is recommended in order to clarify any waiting times and claims.

Around 10 million parents, especially mothers, benefit from these regulations. The mother's pension is credited to the parent who predominantly raised the child. This regulation applies not only to biological parents, but also to fathers, adoptive parents, foster parents, stepparents and grandparents, provided they have primary responsibility for childcare.

In divorced families, the mother's pension plays an important role as part of the pension equalization. The regulation on the child consideration period allows parents to recognize non-contributory years for their pension entitlements up to the child's 10th birthday. With the introduction of mother's pension 3 from 2027, any discrimination against parents with children born before 1992 will be eliminated, which will further improve equal opportunities in the pension system.

Fathers should also clarify their accounts with the German pension insurance in a timely manner in order to make optimal use of their child-rearing time entitlements buerger-geld.org reported. These steps are crucial in order to be able to benefit from the pension rights you have acquired in old age.