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Guide

Social space budget 2027: what people in need of care, care services and providers should know

The draft Long-Term Care Reorganisation Act provides for a social space budget. We explain what it is, what would change compared with the relief amount and what this could mean for care.

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This article describes German law; the German version is authoritative.

Legislative procedure ongoing – not yet passed

Status:

This guide describes the draft Long-Term Care Reorganisation Act (PNOG). Changes in the parliamentary procedure are still possible; we will update the guide as soon as anything changes.

Published · Updated · Category: Guide · Pflege Patienten editorial team

In short

The social space budget comes from the draft Long-Term Care Reorganisation Act (PNOG). From 2027 it is to take over from today’s relief amount for care levels 2 to 5. It would be higher, but could only be used for recognised everyday support services. Household help from a home care service remains possible under the draft, paid from the benefits-in-kind budget. None of this has been passed yet.

What is the social space budget?

The social space budget is a monthly amount for people with care levels 2 to 5 (Section 45b SGB XI as amended by the draft). It is earmarked: it pays for services of everyday support offers recognised under state law or – as neighbourhood help – by the long-term care insurance funds. It is meant for low-threshold everyday help, not for professional care services.

The planned amounts and the status of the procedure are summarised in our article PNOG: what could change for the relief amount and household help from 2027.

Difference from the current relief amount

The main difference is the earmarking. Today’s relief amount (Section 45b SGB XI) is a kind of small budget for very different kinds of relief – from day or night care and short-term care to recognised everyday help. The social space budget, by contrast, would only be for recognised everyday support services.

In practice this means: anything paid from the relief amount today that is not a recognised everyday support service would have to be financed differently in future. Under the draft, unused amounts could also no longer be kept for later.

Care level 1

For care level 1 the relief amount would be dropped; instead the draft relies on accompaniment (details in our article on the PNOG). The care level itself would remain. In practice this means: help paid from the relief amount today would have to be financed differently. Clarify in good time with your long-term care insurance fund what this means for you.

Care levels 2 to 5

The social space budget is to apply to care levels 2 to 5. Benefits in kind remain alongside it: under the draft, home care services can continue to provide care, supervision and household help and bill them via the benefits-in-kind budget.

When planning care, it may therefore become important which service is paid from which budget in future.

Can home care services still offer household help?

Yes. Under the draft, the only question is which budget pays for the help: a home care service bills household help via the benefits-in-kind budget (details in our article on the PNOG).

The same budget, however, also pays for the rest of the care. Anyone who finances household help from the relief amount today should therefore discuss early with the home care service what would remain in the benefits-in-kind budget for it – or whether a recognised everyday support service is a better fit.

What are everyday support services?

Everyday support services are meant to relieve people in need of care and family carers – for example through supervision, help in the household or support in everyday life. Who can offer them and which requirements apply is currently regulated by the federal states in their own ordinances.

What does Section 45a SGB XI mean?

Section 45a SGB XI governs everyday support services and their recognition. For providers, the draft comes down to a basic decision: either a recognised low-threshold service whose services can be paid from the social space budget, or a licence as a care facility billing via the benefits-in-kind budget. The routes the draft provides in detail are described in our article on the PNOG.

What applies in North Rhine-Westphalia?

In North Rhine-Westphalia, the state ordinance AnFöVO applies today. Which services can be recognised there and which providers qualify is summarised in our article on the PNOG.

Which recognition requirements will apply from 2027 also depends on further implementation at federal and state level.

Recognised services near you are listed in the official service finder of the state of NRW (German).

What should home care services do now?

General points of orientation – not advice on an individual case:

  • Check which clients currently pay for household help from the relief amount.
  • Review contracts and financing to see which service is paid from which budget.
  • Inform clients and relatives factually and refer them to advice from their long-term care insurance fund or care counselling.
  • Consider how care continues if another provider takes over part of it in future.
  • Follow the legislative procedure – the draft may still change.

Read more: Refer household help onwards

What should providers of everyday support services do now?

General points of orientation – not advice on an individual case:

  • Clarify your own recognition status – with the competent state authority or, for neighbourhood help, with the long-term care insurance fund.
  • Check which of the two routes – recognition or a licence under Section 72 SGB XI – suits your service.
  • Keep services, service area and prices up to date.
  • Follow the legislative procedure and its implementation in your federal state.

Read more: For providers: care requests for household help and everyday support

What should people in need of care and relatives do?

General points of orientation – not advice on an individual case:

  • Do not rush: current law applies until any change enters into force.
  • Ask your long-term care insurance fund or care counselling what a change could mean for your own care.
  • Discuss with your home care service which services are currently paid from which budget.
  • In North Rhine-Westphalia, search for recognised services nearby using the state service finder.

Read more: Guide: finding a home care service · Guide: care after hospital

How can Pflege Patienten help with reorganising care?

If a new provider is needed for part of the existing care, the entire care does not have to be reorganised. On Pflege Patienten you can also search for individual service areas separately. Posting a care need is free of charge.

Read more: For home care services: refer household help onwards · For private individuals: find care

Current status of the legislative procedure

The PNOG is a draft law; changes in the parliamentary procedure are still possible. We summarise the dates and the current status of the procedure under “News”.

Read more: Article: PNOG, relief amount and household help

Sources

Editorial status:

The Long-Term Care Reorganisation Act is going through the legislative procedure. The changes described reflect the current draft law and may still change.