Child benefits without an application in the future? Federal government plans automatic payments
The federal government plans to significantly simplify the child benefit system. The goal is to reduce bureaucratic hurdles for families and make government benefits available more quickly. To this end, on February 19, 2026, the federal government initiated inter-ministerial consultation on a draft bill from the Federal Ministry of Finance. The bill provides that child benefit will in future be paid out largely automatically—without the need for parents to submit a separate application.
The parliamentary legislative process is still pending. If the law is passed, the procedure for paying out child benefit could be significantly simplified in the future.
Two stages for automatic child benefit payments
The draft bill provides for a phased introduction of application-free payments.
In the first phase, automatic payments will apply to families who already have at least one child and receive child benefit. If another child is born, the child benefit will be automatically paid to the person who already receives child benefit for the older child. A new application would then no longer be required.
In the second stage, the procedure is to be extended to include the first child as well. However, certain requirements must be met for this to be possible. These include, in particular, the following points:
- At least one parent lives with the child in Germany
- This parent has an IBAN
- At least one parent is employed in Germany
If these conditions are met, payments can be made automatically in the future.
How the planned process works
The basis for the automatic payment is the tax identification number (Tax ID). This is assigned to every child after birth.
The process is outlined in the draft bill as follows:
After the birth, the registry office reports the event to the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt) via the registration authorities. There, a tax ID is assigned to the child. The BZSt then informs the responsible family benefits office, which prepares the child benefit payment.
To ensure that the payment can be made automatically, all that is required is a bank account number (IBAN). If this is known, the child benefit can be transferred directly to a parent.
Parents already have the option today to register their IBAN with the BZSt. This can be done via the ELSTER portal or the IBAN+ app.
If data is missing: application still possible
There will continue to be situations in the future where automatic payment is not possible. This applies in particular to cases where the family benefits office lacks important information. For example, this may be the case for self-employed parents if details regarding their employment are not automatically available.
In such cases, parents will continue to receive a welcome letter from the family benefits office with a pre-filled application. Missing information can then be added and submitted.
Regardless of the automated process, the family benefits office will continue to verify whether there is actually an entitlement to child benefit. Even for child benefit paid without an application, existing control mechanisms will apply to prevent unjustified payments.
Conclusion: Less bureaucracy planned for families
With the planned reform, the federal government aims to significantly simplify access to state family benefits. If the law is passed, many parents could automatically receive child benefit in the future without having to submit a separate application. This would provide a noticeable relief in everyday life, especially for young families.
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