Most eligible children miss the €15 Teilhabebetrag, Bertelsmann Stiftung finds
Bertelsmann Stiftung finds more than 80% of eligible children miss the €15 Teilhabebetrag; uptake differs by age and state, prompting calls to simplify access.
A new analysis by the Bertelsmann Stiftung shows that a large majority of children entitled to the monthly €15 Teilhabebetrag do not receive the payment, with uptake particularly low among older children. The study estimates that more than eight in ten children and adolescents whose families receive social benefits are not collecting the allowance designed to support participation in sports, music lessons and holiday activities. The foundation based its calculations on benefit approvals and population figures tied to Bürgergeld, social assistance and asylum-seeker benefit data.
Uptake by age group reveals steep drop-off
Only around 18 percent of six- to under‑15‑year‑olds claimed the Teilhabebetrag, the foundation reports, while just about 12 percent of 15‑ to under‑18‑year‑olds accessed the benefit. The decline in uptake among older teenagers suggests barriers that grow with age or that administrative practices fail to reach that cohort. Experts say the gap undermines the objective of the package, which is to secure equal educational and social participation for children from low‑income households.
Regional disparities show unequal access across states
The analysis highlights stark differences between federal states, with Schleswig‑Holstein recording the highest uptake at roughly 59 percent of eligible children. By contrast, Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern registered about 38 percent, while Lower Saxony and North Rhine‑Westphalia showed approval rates near 21 percent and 15 percent respectively—both above the national average. Cities such as Berlin and Hamburg and the state of Rhineland‑Palatinate saw the Teilhabebetrag reach only about one in ten eligible young people, underscoring significant regional variation in administration and outreach.
Bureaucratic hurdles and small benefit size cited as barriers
The Bertelsmann Stiftung points to complex application procedures, lengthy documentation requirements and varying local approval rules as major obstacles to take‑up. Antje Funcke, the foundation’s family policy expert, argued that the low usage is not due to a lack of need but rather to a benefit that is too small and a process that is too cumbersome. She and the foundation call for measures to reduce bureaucracy, including automatic disbursement where possible and fewer requirements for additional applications.
Other elements of the package are underused as well
The study found that other components of the 2011 Bildungs‑ und Teilhabepaket are also not reaching all eligible children. Only 37 percent of six‑ to under‑15‑year‑olds used the free communal lunch in school or daycare, while the annual school supplies allowance of €195 was claimed by 78 percent—leaving about one in five children without that support. Use of benefits among children in families receiving social welfare or governed by the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act was even lower, and data gaps leave the situation for children in households on housing allowance or child supplement unclear.
Methodology and historical context of the Teilhabepaket
The Bildungs‑ und Teilhabepaket was introduced in 2011 by the federal government to cover costs related to school trips, transport, communal lunches, tutoring, club sports, music lessons and holiday programs. For its estimate, the foundation compared the number of approved benefit claims to the number of children and adolescents recorded as receiving Bürgergeld, social assistance or asylum benefits; the Bürgergeld figures used in the calculation refer to the year 2025. Because no uniform national register exists for entitlement and uptake, the foundation relied on this ratio method to approximate coverage.
Policy recommendations and administrative remedies proposed
The foundation recommends simplifying access as a priority step, proposing that eligible benefits be paid without separate applications where administrative systems allow. Reducing proof requirements and harmonising approval procedures across municipalities would, the foundation argues, ease parents’ burdens and lower administrative costs for local authorities. Improved and consistent data collection on both entitlement and actual usage is also urged to enable targeted outreach and to measure the effect of any reforms.
The Bertelsmann Stiftung’s findings renew debate over how to ensure that modest, targeted benefits reach the children they are intended to help, and highlight persistent organisational and regional obstacles that policymakers must address to close participation gaps.
