Federal Health Minister Nina Warken of the CDU is defending the plan to abolish the existing €100,000 income threshold for relatives providing care to family members. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post” on Saturday, Warken stated that since its introduction, long-term care insurance has significantly eased the financial burden on local municipalities by taking over social assistance responsibilities. However, she argued that due to the tight budgetary situation across all levels of government, further relief-including for local authorities-is necessary.
Consequently, according to the minister, rules implemented during a time when overall financial conditions were much stronger must now be re-examined. Among these regulations is the 2019 income ceiling of €100,000, which dictates that children caring for their parents must contribute financially above this amount. Warken’s plans suggest that in the future, it may become necessary for children to cover care costs even when their parents earn less than €100,000 annually.
