More than eight out of ten eligible children do not receive the participation allowance: 15 years after the introduction of the Education and Participation Package (BuT), only a minority of eligible children and young people receive the benefit for social and cultural participation, according to the Bertelsmann Foundation. Significant gaps also exist regarding school supplies and school lunches. At the same time, reliable nationwide data is lacking on how many children are eligible, what benefits they actually receive, and why they are not reaching their intended recipients.
The Bertelsmann Foundation calls on politicians to resolve this imbalance by implementing simpler and, where possible, automatic payments, redefining a needs-based participation allowance for children and young people, and ensuring uniform, regular data collection across all relevant authorities.
80 percent of eligible children and young people do not receive the participation allowance
More than eight out of ten eligible children and young people receiving basic income support under the German Social Code (SGB II) do not receive the monthly participation allowance of €15. Current calculations by the Bertelsmann Foundation show that only around 18 percent of 6- to 15-year-olds claim the benefit, and only 12 percent of 15- to 18-year-olds. The uptake is even lower among young people receiving social assistance or covered by the Asylum Seekers' Benefits Act. Due to a lack of data, it is not even known how many children from families receiving housing benefit or child supplement actually receive the allowance.
One in five children lacks support for notebooks, pens, and learning materials.
Other components of the Education and Participation Package also fail to reach all eligible recipients: 78 percent of children aged 6 to under 15 receiving benefits under the German Social Code, Book II (SGB II), receive the annual school supplies allowance of €195. This leaves one in five children without support for notebooks, pens, or other learning materials. Only 37 percent take advantage of the free communal lunch program. "The Education and Participation Package would improve the lives of young people from low-income families. The money would be well spent because it supports them in their daily school life and helps them try new things and participate in leisure activities. In the long term, this increases their chances of participating in our society," says Antje Funcke, family policy expert at the Bertelsmann Foundation.
A comparison of the German federal states reveals significant differences in utilization
There are significant differences between the German states regarding the use of the €15 participation allowance: In Schleswig-Holstein, 59 percent of eligible children and young people aged 6 to under 15 receiving benefits under the German Social Code, Book II (SGB II), claim the benefit, while in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the figure is 38 percent. In Berlin, Hamburg, and Rhineland-Palatinate, nine out of ten eligible young people do not receive the allowance. "The low uptake is not because the children don't need it. Rather, the amount is small and the process for obtaining it is very complicated," emphasizes Funcke. According to the expert, differing approval and application procedures, complex forms, and extensive documentation requirements make it difficult for parents to apply for the benefits.
Improvement through regularly collected data and a modern welfare state
Policymakers face a dual challenge with the Education and Participation Package: First, they must ensure that existing entitlements actually reach the children and young people who are entitled to them. Second, they need a reliable data foundation to track exactly how many young people are eligible, which services they use, what costs are incurred, and what obstacles prevent them from accessing these benefits. As long as this information is lacking, neither the impact of the Education and Participation Package can be reliably evaluated nor can targeted adjustments be made.
Bertelsmann Foundation: Fundamentally simplify access to the education and participation package
The Bertelsmann Foundation therefore proposes a fundamental simplification of access to the Education and Participation Package. Benefits should be disbursed without additional applications wherever possible, responsibilities should be consolidated, and existing information should be shared digitally between authorities. This would also relieve the burden on municipalities, which are currently struggling with record debt, in administering these benefits. The Education and Participation Package could serve as a prime example for the government to demonstrate that reforms leading to a modern, citizen-friendly, and reliable administration are possible. At the same time, it is necessary to review and regularly adjust the participation allowance based on the actual needs of children and young people. In addition, a standardized, nationwide, and regularly published statistical report on eligibility, usage, costs, and the impact of the individual benefits is recommended.
Participation creates the conditions for children and young people
“Participation is not an add-on, but a crucial prerequisite for education, belonging, and a good upbringing. Therefore, policymakers should not only remove bureaucratic hurdles, but also finally make transparent which children are being reached and which are not. Only then can services be designed in such a way that they actually reach young people,” said Funcke (Bertelsmann Foundation).
Source: Participation allowance fails to reach more than eight out of ten eligible children, 20.07.2026
