Special Care Allowance

Special Care Allowance is payable to parents who take part in treatment or rehabilitation arranged for their child either

  • in a hospital
  • in a hospital outpatient clinic
  • in the form of a rehabilitation / adaptation training course or
  • in the case of a severe illness, at home (in connection with treatment at a hospital or outpatient clinic).

Special Care Allowance can also be paid to those participating in the treatment or rehabilitation of their partner's child or an adopted or foster child. The principal qualifying condition is that the recipient, on account of participating in the treatment or rehabilitation, cannot carry out his or her regular work and is not paid during the leave of absence. Stay-at-home parents, students and self-employed persons can also get special care allowance. If the claimant's income is too low to qualify as the basis on which the allowance is calculated, the allowance is paid out at its minimum rate (22.04 euros / day).

Special Care Allowance is generally paid for up to 60 workdays per child in a calendar year. Separate counts are kept for hospital care and home care. The payment can be extended if the attending physician deems it necessary. However, entitlement on account of home care is normally limited to 90 workdays. Special care allowance is secondary to special maternity allowance, maternity, paternity or parental allowance, sickness allowance, and compensation paid under the terms of some other law (the excess is paid). Special care allowance is not paid to persons receiving unemployment allowance or labour market subsidy.

Special Care Allowance can be claimed on form SV89, the claim must be accompanied by the doctor's statement on the 'D' form (SV10).

Updated 12/13/12