{
  "id": 5022650,
  "title": "Vermögen: Risiko Pflegeheim – wann Sie für Ihre Eltern zahlen müssen",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/vermogen-risiko-pflegeheim-wann-sie-fur-ihre-eltern-zahlen-mussen",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-02T05:23:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/finanzen/steuern-recht/recht/pflegeheim-wann-kinder-fuer-die-kosten-ihrer-eltern-aufkommen-muessen/100246311.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "From July 2026, the cost of living in nursing homes will become an even greater financial burden for an increasing number of senior citizens. The German Federal Ministry of Health expects the self-financing share to increase to an average of €3,364 per month throughout the country. The CDU Economic Council demands that this figure be increased further as part of the nursing home reform. For those who do not have enough personal financial resources, the Social Welfare Office provided \"help with care\" to 1 in 3 to 1 in 2 nursing home residents in 2023. The expenses of the Social Welfare Offices in this area continue to rise. Authorities are now attempting to hold the children of those in need of care responsible. Families should be aware of the existing rules, as authorities are acting swiftly. Social Welfare Offices often directly contact children and inquire about their financial situation without the conditions for seeking information being met, according to Thomas Franz, a social law expert at the Plagemann law firm. A recent judgment by the Federal Finance Court further limits the scope of Social Welfare Offices in recovering gifts. Children become liable for support if the net assets of a person in need of care drop to €10,000 (the \"previously owned property\"). This applies not only to their income and assets but also to previous gifts from their parents. Gifts given by parents and later spent by the children can be recovered up to ten years later under § 528 of the German Civil Code (BGB). Many people do not make gifts and instead apply for assistance from the Social Welfare Office. The Social Welfare Office, however, is not shy about seizing the recovery claim and taking legal action against the gift-givers. Unlike the duty of contribution in inheritance law, the recovery claim does not diminish over ten years if the gift-giver becomes impoverished. The recovery claim must be asserted within three years of the onset of poverty. The Social Welfare Office has three years from the year when the \"care help\" was requested to recover the gift, regardless of whether it was given in cash, securities, or other assets. Real estate, however, falls under a separate ten-year statute of limitations. Families should be aware of these rules, as authorities are acting quickly and making demands.",
  "summary": "Zahlt das Sozialamt das Pflegeheim, werden Kinder in Regress genommen. Doch die Rechte des Amts sind begrenzt und ein neues Urteil gibt für die Rückforderung von Geldschenkungen weniger Zeit.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Handelsblatt",
        "title": "Vermögen: Risiko Pflegeheim – wann Sie für Ihre Eltern zahlen müssen",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/vermogen-risiko-pflegeheim-wann-sie-fur-ihre-eltern-zahlen-mussen",
        "published": "2026-08-31T10:00:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}