Altersvorsorgedepot during parental leave - is it worth it?

Tilman Freyenhagen

Published on 15 June 2026 · Updated on 7 August 2026 · Managing Director & Partner, Alsterspree Verlag GmbH

Parental leave and retirement provision: the new starting point from 2027

Is the Altersvorsorgedepot worth it for you during parental leave? Yes — this phase is excellent for expanding your retirement provision with state help. Because child-raising periods are recognised by law, parents can secure direct subsidy eligibility during parental leave, or indirect eligibility via their spouse. This lets you receive the full allowances with minimal monthly own contributions and benefit from compound interest in the new Altersvorsorgedepot from 2027 over the long term.

The financial adjustment when moving into parental leave often comes with a temporarily lower income. This is exactly where the state subsidy comes in. Anyone raising children is compulsorily insured under statutory pension insurance for the first 36 calendar months after the birth, and is therefore directly eligible for the subsidy. If you have no income of your own during this time, the statutory minimum contribution of 120 euros a year is already enough to stay eligible and receive the Grundzulage as well as the Kinderzulage of up to 300 euros per child; the maximum Grundzulage of 540 euros requires an own contribution of 1,800 euros^[1]. You can find all the legal details on the knowledge section.

Acting early is crucial to make the most of this financial opportunity. Because subsidy eligibility and the correct allocation of the Kinderzulage are governed directly by the official child-raising periods, you should adjust your contracts in good time. Parents who want to use the new state account subsidy for building their wealth from the 2027 start year can calculate their individual subsidy amount with the subsidy calculator. For detailed mathematical projections or complex situations, personal advice through our independent advice service is also recommended. Not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG.

Directly or indirectly eligible: your status during parental leave

During parental leave, your personal status determines how you can receive state allowances for your Altersvorsorgedepot. The good news for young families is: even with a strongly reduced income, or none at all, you can secure the state subsidy in full. Here, the legislator generally distinguishes between direct and indirect subsidy eligibility^[2]. While directly eligible people have their own entitlement, indirectly eligible people's entitlement is derived via their spouse. To avoid mistakes when applying, you should know your current status precisely and adjust your annual payment accordingly.

Child-raising periods: the lever for direct subsidy

During the first three years of a child's life, the person raising the child is credited with so-called child-raising periods (Kindererziehungszeiten) under statutory pension insurance. These periods count as compulsory contribution periods. As a result, you are automatically directly eligible for the subsidy during this phase, even if you are not in any employment subject to social-insurance contributions^[2]. To be eligible for the allowances at all, you only need to pay in the statutory minimum contribution of 120 euros a year; the level of the Grundzulage and Kinderzulage depends on your actual own contribution. If, after these three years, compulsory insurance no longer applies, married couples can continue receiving the state allowances via indirect eligibility through the subsidy-eligible partner^[1].

To work out your individual entitlements and the optimal own contribution precisely, it is worth taking a look at our subsidy calculator. This interactive tool guides you step by step through the calculation and illustrates the allowance lifecycle for your whole family. If you are unsure about a change of status or how to structure your contract, our partner platform offers independent advice service to clarify open questions of detail in a personal conversation with licensed experts.

Status comparison: direct and indirect eligibility at a glance

During parental leave, the question of your own subsidy status is crucial for optimally securing state allowances in the new Altersvorsorgedepot. The German retirement-provision system distinguishes between two routes here. Thanks to the legal recognition of child-raising periods as a compulsory contribution period in pension insurance, the parent raising the child is directly eligible for the subsidy during the child's first three years of life^[3]. If this compulsory insurance does not apply, or the child-raising period has ended, indirect eligibility can arise via the subsidy-eligible spouse. This lets families benefit from full state support even on a reduced household budget.

To receive the state subsidies, such as the Grundzulage and the Kinderzulage, at least the statutory minimum contribution of 120 euros a year must be paid^[1]. This rule is especially favourable for young families, since the financial burden during parental leave stays minimal, while the return potential rises through an ETF-based Altersvorsorgedepot. How the various allowances and savings rates affect your future final capital can be worked out precisely via the subsidy calculator. For further detail and explanations of the legal guidelines, we recommend taking a look at the knowledge section.

Legal notice: the mathematical examples and explanations on this page are for illustration and are non-binding. Not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG. For a personal consultation, straightforward referral to experts via our independent advice service is recommended.

Allowances in detail: making the most of the Grundzulage and Kinderzulage

We help you fully understand the foundation of the state subsidy from 2027. For young families and parents on parental leave, the new Altersvorsorgedepot offers substantial financial advantages through the combination of the Grundzulage and Kinderzulage, even when your own earned income temporarily falls. Anyone who knows the exact criteria can secure considerable state support for long-term wealth building with comparatively little effort of their own. Our subsidy calculator helps you calculate these entitlements transparently for your specific life situation.

From 2027, the state allowance subsidy is structured to specifically relieve people with lower incomes or during child-raising periods^[1]. Every directly or indirectly eligible person receives a partial or full subsidy, provided the statutory minimum contribution of 120 euros a year is paid. The maximum annual Grundzulage is up to 540 euros, while an additional Kinderzulage of up to 300 euros can be claimed for each child. To receive the full amount of the Kinderzulage, a corresponding own contribution must be paid, calculated directly from the amount paid in.

Especially during parental leave, when family income often shrinks, this subsidy model becomes a lever. Because of the child-raising periods, direct compulsory eligibility under statutory pension insurance often applies, letting parents activate the maximum state subsidy with minimal funds of their own. If you are unsure how to optimally split the allowances between partners, or whether switching out of an existing Riester-Rente (Germany's existing subsidised private pension) contract makes sense, use our knowledge section. For tailored planning and more in-depth questions, our independent advice service is also available, connecting you to qualified experts.

The calculations and figures shown in this section are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute investment advice. Not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG.

The landmark family ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court

The constitutional favouring of families in Germany rests on long-standing case law from the Federal Constitutional Court. In its landmark rulings, often summarised as the "family ruling", the court made clear that parents must be relieved on social-insurance contributions, because by raising children they carry the generational contract and, with it, the future pension system^[4]. This constitutionally mandated principle also significantly shapes the new Altersvorsorgedepot from 2027. The state is legally obliged to give parents particular support in building up private retirement provision, especially during lower-income periods such as parental leave.

During parental leave, you can therefore secure the state subsidy in two ways. In the first three years after the birth, the recognition of child-raising periods under statutory pension insurance makes you directly eligible. If direct eligibility does not apply, marriage secures access to state support via indirect eligibility. This lets you channel the Grundzulage and Kinderzulage into your Altersvorsorgedepot with the statutory minimum contribution of just 120 euros a year - the level of the allowances depends on your own contribution - so you don't give up return potential during this lower-income phase.

We help you make optimal use of these complex rules for your family situation. With our digital subsidy calculator, you can calculate the exact effects of allowances and minimum contributions for your personal circumstances. For further detailed questions, our neutral knowledge section is also available to you free of charge.

Worked example: how to maximise the subsidy rate during parental leave

During parental leave, young families' budgets are often stretched thin. Yet it is precisely in this phase that the new Altersvorsorgedepot unfolds an especially strong leverage effect through state allowances. Because child-raising periods count as compulsory contribution periods under statutory pension insurance^[1], you are directly eligible for the subsidy. Even with the statutory minimum contribution of 120 euros a year, you secure valuable state top-ups. If you increase your own contribution slightly, you can even make full use of the Kinderzulage for your child.

This example illustrates the enormous potential for parents: with your own outlay of just 25 euros a month (300 euros a year), a total of 750 euros flows into your private Altersvorsorgedepot, thanks to the Kinderzulage. In this case, the subsidy rate on your own contribution is a remarkable 150 percent. Please note that these figures are for illustration. Not investment advice within the meaning of § 1 Abs. 1a Nr. 1a KWG.

To calculate your personal situation precisely, using digital tools is recommended. The interactive subsidy calculator makes it easy to work out the exact subsidy amount. If you are unsure whether direct or indirect eligibility via your spouse is more advantageous during your parental leave, our independent advice service offers reliable support. Further detail on the legal basics is provided by the knowledge section.

Practical savings strategy: keep paying in, pause, or switch from Riester?

During parental leave, mothers and fathers face the important decision of what to do with their existing retirement-provision contracts. From 2027, with the introduction of the Altersvorsorgedepot, an attractive switching option becomes available for existing Riester-Rente contracts^[5]. Because the first three years of raising a child count as compulsory contribution periods under statutory pension insurance, the parent providing care is directly eligible for the subsidy during this phase^[6]. If this direct eligibility does not apply, indirect eligibility via the subsidy-eligible spouse is often available, to keep securing state allowances.

While receiving Elterngeld (parental allowance), young families' budgets are usually under considerable strain, which is why flexible contribution planning is crucial. You are entitled to the state Grundzulage of up to 540 euros and the Kinderzulage of up to 300 euros per child in the new Altersvorsorgedepot from the annual minimum contribution of 120 euros; the level of the allowances depends on what you actually pay in. With the interactive subsidy calculator, you can work out the exact contribution requirements and allowance entitlements for your individual life situation precisely.

Switching from a classic Riester-Rente to the new account model is clearly regulated by law. When transferring accumulated capital, a statutory switching-cost cap of a maximum of 150 euros applies to contracts running for less than five years; after that, switching is completely free of charge. This rule ensures that parents can rebalance their capital efficiently, invest in low-cost ETFs, and so benefit from the capital market's long-term return potential.

Your path to a decision: digital comparison or personal advice

Starting a family brings profound financial changes, which is why strategic provision is essential. From 2027, the new Altersvorsorgedepot gives parents an excellent opportunity to build up high-return retirement provision, even during parental leave. State allowances — such as the Grundzulage of up to 540 euros and a Kinderzulage of 300 euros per child — let you leverage your own savings rate considerably. To find out whether direct or indirect eligibility applies to your current life situation, you can compare the different options and simulate the leverage effect directly via the subsidy calculator.

These different types of eligibility show that the state subsidy can be secured during parental leave even with a low or non-existent income of your own. However, because the tax and subsidy details vary depending on family circumstances, you should check in advance exactly which own contribution is optimal for you, so as not to give up any allowances.

Which route is optimal for you to implement depends on your individual prior knowledge and personal preferences. If you want to organise your retirement provision digitally and on your own, the knowledge section offers well-founded expert articles, and our provider comparison helps you identify the right neobroker account. If, on the other hand, you would like personal support, our independent advice service connects you with qualified, independent pension advisers. Both options on the Vorsorgedepot-Lotse portal are equally valid and designed to give you maximum transparency and confidence for your retirement-provision decision.