Altersvorsorgedepot for family carers?

Tilman Freyenhagen

Published on 28 July 2026 · Updated on 7 August 2026 · Managing Director & Partner, Alsterspree Verlag GmbH

Basics of eligibility: why family carers qualify for support

Family carers are immediately eligible for the new Altersvorsorgedepot from 2027, provided they are subject to mandatory statutory pension insurance. Anyone who cares for a close relative rated at least Pflegegrad 2 (Germany's official care-level classification) for at least ten hours a week acquires this mandatory-insurance status through the Pflegekasse's contribution payments^[1]. This creates a direct entitlement to the Altersvorsorgedepot's state allowances, even without earned income of their own.

The legal mechanism under § 3 SGB VI

The legal basis is § 3 Satz 1 Nr. 1a of Book Six of the Social Code (SGB VI). Under defined criteria, the relevant Pflegekasse pays mandatory pension-insurance contributions for carers who provide care without pursuing it as paid work. Because eligibility for the new Altersvorsorgedepot is tied to mandatory-insurance status, this contribution payment also secures the state allowance support from 2027.

• Minimum care time: at least 10 hours of care a week, spread across at least 2 days a week.
• Care level: the person being cared for needs at least Pflegegrad 2.
• Limit on paid work: any paid work the carer does alongside caregiving must not exceed 30 hours a week.
• Contribution payment: the pension-insurance contributions are paid directly by the Pflegekasse.

Through this link, the legislator closes a looming pension gap in old age. Carers not only earn pension points towards their statutory pension, they can also invest the subsidy money in securities within the Altersvorsorgedepot for strong potential returns. We recommend checking the exact requirements for your personal eligibility in advance, so you can claim the full entitlement from the 2027 launch year.

Pension points from caregiving versus the private pension gap

Anyone who cares for relatives at home often reduces their own working hours or gives up paid work altogether for a while. To cushion this socially valuable work financially, the Pflegekasse pays contributions to statutory pension insurance under certain conditions^[2]. The condition is caring for a person with Pflegegrad 2 or higher for at least 10 hours a week, spread across at least two days, while working no more than 30 hours a week themselves. This mandatory insurance not only secures pension entitlements but also directly establishes eligibility for the state-subsidised Altersvorsorgedepot, which launches in 2027.

• Credit for pension points: the Pflegekasse pays pension contributions whose amount depends on the relevant care level and the benefit claimed, such as Pflegegeld (the cash care allowance) or benefits in kind.
• Cushioning lost earnings: a full year of caregiving adds roughly 7 to 37 euros to the monthly pension entitlement, depending on care level (illustrative figures, not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG).
• Remaining pension gap: because these contributions usually do not fully offset lost earned income, longer periods of caregiving lead to significant shortfalls in old-age provision.
• Direct eligibility: through the Pflegekasse's contribution payments, you as a family carer are eligible for support and can benefit from the state account allowances.

The Pflegekasse's credits cushion lost earnings but do not fully close the old-age provision gap. To close this gap proactively, the Altersvorsorgedepot offers a return-oriented supplement to the statutory pension from 2027. Because rigid contribution guarantees fall away, your savings contributions and the state allowances flow directly into broadly diversified ETFs. This makes it possible to build targeted equity for retirement even with smaller monthly amounts during the caregiving phase.

The new subsidy model from 2027: the Grundzulage and the minimum own contribution

Family carers who look after relatives at home are compulsorily insured under statutory pension insurance through the Pflegekasse, provided the statutory care conditions are met. From 1 January 2027, this mandatory insurance gives rise to direct eligibility for the Altersvorsorgedepot, even without earned income of their own. This legal basis is essential, because caring for family members often leads to reduced working hours and severe pension gaps. The new model creates a reliable option here for building capital-backed wealth.

The mechanics of the subsidy have been fundamentally simplified compared with the earlier Riester system. From 2027, the state pays a Grundzulage of 50 cents for each of the first 360 euros invested and 25 cents for every further euro, directly into the certified account. A decisive advantage for family carers is the statutory minimum own contribution of just 120 euros a year, or 10 euros a month. Unlike under the old rules, there is no bureaucratic link to 4 percent of the previous year's income. A small monthly savings rate is therefore enough to secure the full state subsidy.

Requirements and subsidy rate at a glance

• Status as a carer: the Pflegekasse pays pension contributions if the mandatory caregiving amounts to at least 10 hours a week spread across at least 2 days, provided at home.
• Tiered Grundzulage: on the first 360 euros, the state adds 50 cents per euro as a subsidy, and 25 cents on top of that up to a contribution of 1,800 euros.
• Base amount of 120 euros: the annual minimum own contribution secures the full allowance entitlement regardless of individual income level.
• Combination with pension points: while the Pflegekasse credits statutory pension points, the own contribution to the account builds return-oriented real assets.

Through this interplay, carers gain a double building block for later financial security in old age: alongside the Pflegekasse's pension points, a flexible securities balance grows in the subsidised Altersvorsorgedepot. This sustainably strengthens financial independence in old age. All model examples and figures serve purely as illustrative information and do not constitute investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG.

Child allowances and bonuses: maximising support with reduced paid work

Family carers who reduce their paid work or pause it temporarily to look after relatives face significant financial challenges. However, because the Pflegekasse pays contributions to statutory pension insurance, mandatory insurance applies, which secures direct access to the extended circle of eligibility for the new Altersvorsorgedepot. The state allowance structure has a particularly strong leverage effect where own income is low. The Grundzulage amounts to 50% on the first 360 euros of own contribution a year, equivalent to an immediate credit of 180 euros. Every further euro earns a subsidy of 25 cents.

Allowance components for caregiving and childcare duties

• Grundzulage: on the first 360 euros of annual contribution, the state grants a subsidy of 50% (180 euros), and a further 25% on amounts above that up to 1,800 euros (a maximum of 360 additional euros of Grundzulage).
• Kinderzulage: for every child eligible for Kindergeld (child benefit), the state pays up to 300 euros a year as an allowance, with savings rates from as little as 25 euros a month matched one-to-one.
• Percentage subsidy rate: by combining reduced own contributions with fixed state allowances, carers with childcare duties achieve a high subsidy rate on the own funds they put in.

When periods of childcare and caregiving coincide, family carers can build up proportionally high savings in the account by combining the Grundzulage, the Kinderzulage and further bonuses. Even with moderate own contributions, this creates effective protection against the pension gap caused by caregiving. It is therefore worth affected families coordinating the minimum own contribution and the state subsidy amounts precisely. All calculations and figures serve purely as illustration (not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG).

Riester versus the Altersvorsorgedepot for carers: assessing existing contracts

Family carers face a particular challenge when building long-term wealth: reduced working hours or interrupted paid work create significant provision gaps. It is enshrined in law that people who care for relatives rated Pflegegrad 2 or above for at least ten hours a week are compulsorily insured under statutory pension insurance through the Pflegekasse's contribution payments. This mandatory insurance establishes direct eligibility for state-subsidised retirement provision^[4]. Many family carers currently hold existing Riester-Rente (Germany's existing subsidised private pension) contracts, which offer nominal contribution guarantees but, because of conservative reserve-fund investments and fixed contract costs, generate barely any real return after inflation.

Weighing switching opportunities and allowance protection carefully

Switching from Riester to the Altersvorsorgedepot allows the tax-neutral transfer of capital already built up from 2027. Allowances and tax benefits collected so far remain fully intact when the transfer is carried out correctly. Especially for carers with a still-long remaining term before retirement, switching to a return-oriented ETF account offers the chance to effectively offset pension deductions caused by caregiving. We advise reviewing existing contracts individually for their guarantees, effective costs and remaining accumulation period. Note: all model calculations and comparisons serve purely as information; not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG.

Flexibility and contribution suspension for a fluctuating caregiving situation

Caring for relatives at home rarely runs a straight line. Periods of intensive care often alternate with periods of relief, a return to paid work, or a change in care level. The Altersvorsorgedepot, which takes effect in 2027, accounts for this dynamic through a high degree of contribution flexibility^[5]. As long as the Pflegekasse pays pension-insurance contributions on your behalf, you remain subject to mandatory pension insurance and so retain direct eligibility. If your monthly income changes, you can adjust, pause or resume your savings contributions at any time free of charge, without risking penalty fees or the loss of state allowances already granted.

• Change in care level: if care needs fall below the statutory minimum thresholds for the Pflegekasse's pension contribution payments, direct mandatory insurance ends. Eligibility remains in place, however, if you yourself take up employment subject to social insurance, or are indirectly covered through an eligible spouse.
• Interruption or end of caregiving: if caregiving is temporarily interrupted or permanently ends, you can make the contract contribution-free at any time. To continue receiving the Grundzulage where eligibility still applies, the statutory minimum contribution of 120 euros a year is enough.
• Returning to work: if you take up employment subject to social insurance again after the caregiving phase, you move seamlessly from care-related mandatory insurance status into regular employee eligibility.

Compared with the earlier Riester-Rente, the Altersvorsorgedepot does away with the rigid 4 percent rule for determining the minimum own contribution. Even on a fluctuating or tight budget in everyday caregiving, state allowances can already be secured with small contributions from 10 euros a month^[6]. We recommend that family carers keep an early eye on any change in status, so they can continually make full use of the subsidy rate. (Note: not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG.)

Protecting account assets: basic income support, seizure and social benefits

For family carers with reduced earned income of their own, the legal protection of accumulated retirement assets is of existential importance. Anyone who looks after relatives at home and therefore reduces or interrupts their own paid work often has smaller financial reserves. The new Altersvorsorgedepot, launching in 2027, is anchored in the Altersvorsorgereformgesetz (pension reform act) so that the state-subsidised capital stays protected throughout the entire accumulation phase.

Under the guidelines of the Federal Ministry of Finance, strictly regulated protection mechanisms against means-testing and access apply to subsidised retirement assets^[7]. Should a drop in household income during a caregiving phase make it necessary to claim Bürgergeld (Germany's basic citizens' income benefit) or Grundsicherung (basic income support), the subsidised account balance in the accumulation phase generally does not count towards the protected assets that would otherwise have to be used up first. The capital likewise remains protected if the carer themselves becomes in need of care at some point in life.

• No obligation to liquidate when claiming social benefits: subsidised account capital counts as protected retirement assets during the accumulation phase and does not have to be liquidated as a priority when claiming Grundsicherung or Bürgergeld.
• Statutory protection against seizure: the state-subsidised portion of the assets, including allowances and returns, is protected from creditors' enforcement measures during the accumulation phase.
• Earmarked for retirement: the legal earmarking ensures that retirement capital remains intact for the later pension even in the face of unforeseen misfortune or the carer's own need for care.

It is important to distinguish between the accumulation phase and the later payout phase: while protection is comprehensive during the accumulation phase, ongoing payouts in old age are treated as income and are then subject to the general seizure exemption limits and means-testing rules for basic income support. We recommend that family carers review their personal provision strategy early. Anyone wanting to learn more about requirements and entitlements will find neutrally prepared information with us, as well as access to independent advice.

Step by step to the right provision strategy

To make the best use of the state subsidy for the Altersvorsorgedepot from 2027 as a family carer, insurance-law classification forms the foundation. If you care for someone rated at least Pflegegrad 2 for at least 10 hours a week (spread across at least two days) at home, the Pflegekasse pays mandatory contributions to statutory pension insurance. This mandatory insurance secures your direct eligibility for the new Altersvorsorgedepot, even if you have no regular paid work.

Guide to preparing for 2027

1. Check your status with the Pflegekasse: request proof of pension-insurance contribution payments from the care recipient's Pflegekasse.
2. Check your pension-insurance record: make sure the caregiving periods are fully recorded in the German Statutory Pension Insurance's insurance record.
3. Calculate your eligible own contribution: work out the own contribution needed to receive the full state allowances.
4. Choose the right implementation path: decide whether to run the subsidised account yourself through a neobroker or to get support.

Two equally valid options are available when choosing your implementation path. Experienced self-directed savers can manage the Altersvorsorgedepot digitally from 2027, while neutral personal advice provides guidance where individual provision questions or complex contribution structures need clarifying. We recommend preparing the documents early so you can act as soon as the reform starts. (Not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG.)