So gibt's die Rentenpunkte: Kindererziehungszeiten müssen Eltern selbst beantragen

Parents who reduce their work hours for the upbringing of their children can receive child-rearing time credits in their statutory pension by applying through the German Pension Insurance (DRV). This is often referred to as "Mother's pension," and it applies equally to fathers. The German pension system covers these contributions.

As of now, parents can accumulate up to 30 months of child-rearing time credits for children born before 1992, and up to 36 months for younger children. This translates to a maximum of 2.5 or 3 pension points, which is equivalent to earning the average income of all insured individuals for that year. Each year of child-rearing increases the monthly pension eligibility by approximately €42.52, while three years of child-rearing can result in about €128.

The distinction based on the birth year of the children will be eliminated with the implementation of Mother's Pension III, and the credit for child-rearing time will then be granted for up to 3 years. However, the actual payment will start in 2028 due to technical changes at the DRV, and pending this, accumulated entitlements will be paid retroactively.

Application for these entitlements is necessary. Apart from child-rearing time, there are also child-consideration periods, which run significantly longer, until the child turns 10. These help in fulfilling certain waiting periods, such as the minimum insurance years for future pension rights. Only if these are fulfilled, is there an entitlement to basic benefits from the statutory pension insurance, including the survivor's pension or the pension due to reduced working capacity.

Neither child-rearing nor child-consideration periods are automatically credited, so mothers and fathers must apply online via the DRV's form V0800. If parents have shared the time spent on child-rearing, partners can share the respective entitlements accordingly using form V0820. It's crucial to note that the declaration for dividing child-rearing time is retroactive for up to two months.

Therefore, to secure pension points for the first year of child-rearing, fathers need to act within two months after their child's birth and submit the joint declaration together with the mother of the child to the pension insurance provider.