You will receive advance maintenance payments for your child if you are raising it in your household without another parent against whom the child is entitled to maintenance. However, this maintenance is not paid by the other parent or the person obliged to pay maintenance, or is paid incompletely or irregularly.

The child's center of life must clearly be in your household. You must not have married a new partner.

If the eligibility requirements are met, the maintenance advance will be paid to you until your child reaches the age of majority. The limit on the duration of receipt (previously a maximum of 72 months) has been lifted.

The amount of the maintenance advance is based on the minimum maintenance amount.

If the single parent is entitled to full child benefit, the maintenance advance in Lower Saxony has been as follows since January 1, 2025

• 227.00 euros per month for children up to 5 years of age
• for children from 6 to 11 years 299.00 euros per month
• for children from 12 to 17 years 394.00 euros per month

After the age of 12, your child is only entitled to maintenance if one of the following conditions is met:

• You or your child do not receive citizen's allowance.
• Advance maintenance payments can prevent your child from needing assistance.
• You have a gross monthly income of at least 600 euros and receive supplementary citizen's allowance.

This ensures that all children receive an advance on maintenance payments if necessary. At the same time, an important incentive is created for households that are not in need of assistance or that could become independent of basic income support benefits through their own earned income to secure their own livelihood.

The maintenance advance is always paid at the beginning of a calendar month and can be applied for retroactively for one month.