Pflegegeld 2026 in Austria: amounts, levels and application

Pflegegeld is a targeted social benefit in Austria for people who need ongoing care and assistance. It is intended to partially cover additional care-related costs, rather than increase ordinary income, and can help eligible people remain independent and stay in their familiar surroundings for as long as possible.

Pflegegeld amounts in 2026

Austria’s Pflegegeld is paid according to seven care levels (Pflegestufen). The level depends mainly on the number of hours of care needed each month. The 2026 monthly amounts listed by the social ministry are:

• Pflegestufe 1: more than 65 hours of care per month – 206,20 €
• Pflegestufe 2: more than 95 hours of care per month – 380,30 €
• Pflegestufe 3: more than 120 hours of care per month – 592,60 €
• Pflegestufe 4: more than 160 hours of care per month – 888,50 €
• Pflegestufe 5: more than 180 hours of care per month, with außergewöhnlicher Pflegeaufwand – 1.206,90 €
• Pflegestufe 6: more than 180 hours of care per month, with zeitlich nicht planbare Betreuungsmaßnahmen or dauernde Anwesenheit – 1.685,40 €
• Pflegestufe 7: 2.214,80 €

In cases of dementia or severe intellectual disability, an additional 45 hours of care needs per month are counted from the age of 15.

Pflegegeld calculator

To estimate a possible care level, enter the estimated monthly care need in hours and compare it with the official hourly thresholds above. The final classification is not determined by a calculator: a doctor or diplomierte Pflegefachkraft establishes the care need during a begutachtung.

What is Pflegegeld?

Pflegegeld is a pauschalierter Beitrag, or flat-rate contribution, towards care costs. Actual care costs generally exceed the amount of the benefit. Its purpose is to give people who need care a degree of independence and help them remain at home or in their familiar environment for as long as possible.

Eligibility requirements

The main conditions for receiving Pflegegeld are:

• Ständiger Betreuungs- und Hilfsbedarf caused by a physical, intellectual or psychological disability, or sensory impairment
• The disability is expected to last for at least six months
• More than 65 hours of pflegebedarf per month
• Gewöhnlicher Aufenthalt in Österreich

Under certain conditions, Pflegegeld may also be claimed while staying in the EEA or Switzerland.

The seven care levels

Pflegegeld is assigned in seven Pflegestufen according to the required number of care hours. The care requirement is assessed by a doctor or diplomierte Pflegefachkraft during a begutachtung.

2025 amounts for comparison

After the 4,6 percent increase in January 2025, the monthly amounts were:

• Pflegestufe 1: more than 65 hours of care per month – 200,80 euros
• Pflegestufe 2: more than 95 hours of care per month – 370,30 euros
• Pflegestufe 3: more than 120 hours of care per month – 577,00 euros
• Pflegestufe 4: more than 160 hours of care per month – 865,10 euros
• Pflegestufe 5: more than 180 hours of care per month, with außergewöhnlicher Pflegeaufwand – 1.175,20 euros
• Pflegestufe 6: more than 180 hours of care per month, with zeitlich nicht planbare Betreuungsmaßnahmen or dauernde Anwesenheit – 1.641,10 euros
• Pflegestufe 7: 2.156,60 euros

From Pflegestufe 5, additional special conditions apply, including an extraordinary need for care or the need for constant supervision.

Angehörigenbonus in 2025

Since July 2023, the Angehörigenbonus, also known as Pflegebonus, has supplemented the support. In 2025, it increased by 4,6 percent from the previous monthly amount of 125 euros to 130,80 euros, or 1.569,60 euros per year.

Conditions for the bonus

• Pflegestufe 4 or higher
• The care has mainly been provided for at least one year
• The average net monthly income in the previous year did not exceed 1.500 euros

How to apply for Pflegegeld

Where to submit the application

You must apply for Pflegegeld or for an increase. The application is submitted to the social insurance institution that pays the pension. People who do not receive a pension submit their application to the Pensionsversicherungsanstalt.

The application can also be submitted without using a form. If it is sent to the wrong organisation, it is automatically forwarded to the responsible institution.

What happens after applying?

1. Submit the application: Attach current medical reports or hospital documents if they are available.
2. Complete the form: You will be asked which activities the person cannot carry out independently and whether care-related services are already being used.
3. Attend an assessment: After the application, a doctor or diplomierte Pflegefachkraft visits the person at home, in a residential care home or, where necessary, in hospital.
4. Medical or care report: The expert examines the person, records the medical history, asks about the need for assistance and prepares a report.
5. Receive the decision: The decision states whether the application was approved and, if so, which Pflegestufe was assigned.

Pflegegeld is paid retroactively from the first day of the month following the application. The procedure must not take longer than two months from receipt of the application to delivery of the decision.

Requesting a higher Pflegegeld level

If the person’s health deteriorates, an increase may be requested under certain conditions:

• At least one year has passed since the date of the last decision or court decision
• The health situation has significantly worsened and more care or assistance is needed
• The new application is supported by a current medical report

Supplements for difficult circumstances

Erschwerniszuschläge may be counted in certain cases. These add extra hours to the care time, particularly for people with severe intellectual or psychological disabilities whose care requires additional patience or empathy.

Payment, tax and hospital stays

Pflegegeld is paid monthly in arrears, twelve times per year. No income tax or health insurance contribution is deducted from Pflegegeld.

Krankenhaus- or Kuraufenthalt

During a hospital or rehabilitation stay, Pflegegeld is suspended from the second day if the costs of the stay are mainly covered by a social insurance institution, the state, a provincial health fund or a sickness fund.

Annual adjustment

Since 1 January 2020, Pflegegeld at every level has been adjusted annually using the pension adjustment factor. This fulfilled a demand made by AK for many years.

Special groups and diagnosis-based minimum classification

Diagnosebezogene Mindesteinstufung applies to certain groups of people with disabilities:

• People with severe visual impairment
• Wheelchair users with spinal cord injuries (Pflegestufe 3)
• Blind people (Pflegestufe 4)
• People who are deaf and blind (Pflegestufe 5)

Children and young people

Until their 15th birthday, children and young people are assessed only for the care needs that exceed those required by non-disabled children and young people of the same age. Their Pflegestufe is determined under the Kinder-Einstufungsverordnung.

Practical steps

1. Estimate the person’s monthly care requirement in hours.
2. Collect current medical reports and hospital documents.
3. Submit the application to the social insurance institution paying the pension, or to the Pensionsversicherungsanstalt if the person does not receive a pension.
4. Complete the care-needs form and describe which everyday activities require help.
5. Prepare for the home, residential care home or hospital assessment.
6. Check the decision and the assigned Pflegestufe when it arrives.
7. If the health situation later worsens, consider an increase application supported by a current medical report.