How do I secure the child benefit entitlement if my child does not find a job?

If your child is unemployed, you can continue to receive child benefit and tax allowances until their 21st birthday.

A part-time job does not affect your child benefit entitlement. However, the child must be registered as seeking employment with the employment agency. Regardless, you should, or must, also inform the family benefits office early if your child is looking for a training place.

As long as your child works no more than 15 hours per week, they can remain registered as seeking employment. A part-time job is also harmless for your child benefit entitlement if your child stays below the income limit for part-time workers in this job.

Currently, the Federal Fiscal Court has ruled that there is no entitlement to child benefit if a child cannot start their training due to illness and the end of the illness is not foreseeable (BFH ruling of 12.11.2020, III R 49/18).

Important: If there are interruptions in training periods of more than four months, children should definitely register as seeking employment or a training place, and as soon as possible after the end or interruption of the respective training. Then child benefit will also be paid beyond the four-month interruption. A child seeking employment is considered until the age of 21, a child seeking a training place until the age of 25.