The federal cabinet approved a plan to pay child benefit automatically after a child’s birth, eliminating the need for parents to submit a claim. According to the Finance Ministry, the new law will take effect on 1 January 2027 and will be implemented in two phases within that year.
The first phase, starting in March 2027, will allow benefits for second and subsequent children to be paid without application to the same person who already receives child benefit.
The second phase, beginning in November 2027, will enable the benefit for the first child to be paid automatically, provided certain conditions are met.
Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) said the measure is intended to ease the burden on families and reduce bureaucracy. Labor Minister Bärbel Bas (also SPD) added that automatic payments are a step toward making the welfare state “more transparent, efficient and citizen‑friendly”. She noted that young parents often juggle many responsibilities and have little time for paperwork, so the new system will help relieve them.
