Schwesig criticizes the possible reduction in child sickness benefit days

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) has criticized the possible reduction in child sickness benefit days. “That’s not possible,” said Schwesig on the sidelines of the Federal Council meeting in Berlin. Schwesig emphasized that the SPD had clearly negotiated the health reform so that children's sick days would remain. “We have to strengthen families in Germany, we have to support them.”

Federal Health Minister Carsten Linnemann spoke out against further extending the period during which parents are entitled to child sickness benefit. “This is a rule that we introduced during Corona,” the CDU politician said in the government survey in the Bundestag this week. He added that politicians would do well “to ensure that special rules that existed for Corona are withdrawn”.

According to a legal stipulation, an extension applies this year - namely 15 days per child and parent and 30 days for single parents. After the end of special regulations in the Corona crisis, the longer period of 15 days had already been extended by law for 2024 and 2025. Previously there were 10 children's sick days per year per parent.

Parents with statutory health insurance can apply for sick pay if a child under the age of twelve is sick and they are therefore unable to go to work. The health insurance company then covers a large part of the loss of earnings and pays child sickness benefit - usually 90 percent of net earnings.

Linnemann opposed criticism as if children's sick days should be abolished entirely. "It will be 10 days, times two is 20 days a year. And we had that in all the years before Corona."