Germany sickness benefit 2026: rates, cap and duration

API Rates and limits of German sickness benefit as REST API, JSON and CSV, with the legal basis for every value.

Rates, caps and maximum duration of German statutory sickness benefit under §§ 44 to 48 SGB V since 2015.

For the first six weeks the employer continues to pay wages, see continued pay; the contribution ceiling is under social security thresholds.

Last checked against the sources on September 26, 2026. Next expected change: only if the law changes.

REST /v1/hr/krankengeldMCP hr_krankengeldCLI qk krankengeld

Sickness benefit (Krankengeld) is 70 percent of regular pay and at most 90 percent of net pay, for at most 78 weeks within three years for the same illness. Also includes the child sickness benefit rates under § 45 SGB V and the rule for the maximum daily benefit.

Valid on September 26, 2026

Sickness benefit as a percentage of regular pay: 70%
Cap as a percentage of net pay: 90%
Maximum benefit period for the same illness: 78 weeks

Source: §§ 44 to 48 SGB V
License: Values from official works (§ 5 UrhG). Use of the compilation under the Quellenkontor terms of use.
Updates: when the law changes
Coverage: Germany, from 2015

A value doesn't match the official source? Report an error. We check against the primary source and document every correction in the changelog.

Related solutions: For HR software For AI agents and HR chatbots

api.quellenkontor.dev/v1/hr/krankengeld?datum=2026-10-01

Zur API-Doku →

curl "https://api.quellenkontor.dev/v1/hr/krankengeld?datum=2026-10-01" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $QK_KEY"

import { Quellenkontor } from "@quellenkontor/sdk";

const qk = new Quellenkontor(process.env.QK_KEY);
const daten = await qk.hr.krankengeld({ datum: "2026-10-01" });

import os
from quellenkontor import Quellenkontor

qk = Quellenkontor(api_key=os.environ["QK_KEY"])
daten = qk.hr.krankengeld(datum="2026-10-01")

$ qk krankengeld --datum 2026-10-01

{
  "name": "hr_krankengeld",
  "arguments": {
    "datum": "2026-10-01"
  }
}

This is how an agent calls the tool. Server setup is described in the MCP docs.

Antwort200 OK · JSON

{
  "datensatz": "krankengeld",
  "datum": "2026-10-01",
  "vorlaeufig": false,
  "werte": {
    "satz_regelentgelt": 70,
    "obergrenze_netto": 90,
    "hoechstbezugsdauer": 78,
    "rahmenfrist": 3,
    "neuer_anspruch_zwischenzeit": 6,
    "kinderkrankengeld_satz": 90,
    "kinderkrankengeld_satz_einmalzahlung": 100,
    "kinderkrankengeld_obergrenze_bbg": 70
  },
  "bestandteile": [
    {
      "id": "satz_regelentgelt",
      "name": "Krankengeld in Prozent des Regelentgelts",
      "gruppe": "Krankengeld",
      "art": "satz",
      "einheit": "prozent",
      "wert": 70,
      "gueltig_ab": "2015-01-01",
      "gueltig_bis": null,
      "rechtsgrundlage": "§ 47 Abs. 1 Satz 1 SGB V",
      "quelle": {
        "titel": "§ 47 SGB V (Höhe und Berechnung des Krankengeldes)",
        "url": "https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_5/__47.html"
      },
      "hinweis": "Regelentgelt ist das regelmäßige beitragspflichtige Arbeitsentgelt und Arbeitseinkommen, kalendertäglich gerechnet und nur bis zur kalendertäglichen Beitragsbemessungsgrenze der Krankenversicherung (§ 47 Abs. 2 und 6 SGB V). Der Satz gilt unverändert seit vor 2015.",
      "naechster_wert": null,
      "status": "festgelegt",
      "erwartet": null,
      "letzter_wert": null
    },
    {
      "id": "obergrenze_netto",
      "name": "Obergrenze in Prozent des Nettoarbeitsentgelts",
      "gruppe": "Krankengeld",
      "art": "hoechstsatz",
      "einheit": "prozent",
      "wert": 90,
      "gueltig_ab": "2015-01-01",
      "gueltig_bis": null,
      "rechtsgrundlage": "§ 47 Abs. 1 Satz 2 SGB V",
      "quelle": {
        "titel": "§ 47 SGB V (Höhe und Berechnung des Krankengeldes)",
        "url": "https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_5/__47.html"
      },
      "hinweis": "Das aus Arbeitsentgelt berechnete Krankengeld darf 90 Prozent des Nettoarbeitsentgelts nicht übersteigen; einmalig gezahltes Arbeitsentgelt der letzten zwölf Monate fließt anteilig ein (§ 47 Abs. 1 Satz 3, Abs. 2 Satz 6 SGB V). Zusätzlich darf das Krankengeld das kalendertägliche Nettoarbeitsentgelt aus dem laufenden Arbeitsentgelt nicht übersteigen (§ 47 Abs. 1 Satz 4 SGB V). Unverändert seit vor 2015.",
      "naechster_wert": null,
      "status": "festgelegt",
      "erwartet": null,
      "letzter_wert": null
    }
  ],
  "hinweise": [
    "Das Höchstkrankengeld je Kalendertag sind 70 Prozent eines Dreißigstels der monatlichen Beitragsbemessungsgrenze der Krankenversicherung (Datensatz rechengroessen, bbg_kv_monat)."
  ],
  "lizenz": "Werte aus amtlichen Werken (§ 5 UrhG). Nutzung der Zusammenstellung nach den Nutzungsbedingungen von Quellenkontor.",
  "stand": "2026-09-26",
  "zitat": "Krankengeld am 01.10.2026: Krankengeld in Prozent des Regelentgelts: 70 Prozent; Obergrenze in Prozent des Nettoarbeitsentgelts: 90 Prozent; Höchstbezugsdauer wegen derselben Krankheit: 78 Wochen. Rechtsgrundlage: § 47 Abs. 1 Satz 1 SGB V. Quelle: § 47 SGB V (Höhe und Berechnung des Krankengeldes), https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_5/__47.html. Daten: Quellenkontor (quellenkontor.dev).",
  "datenstand": "2026-09-26.24"
}

Response shortened. All parameters and response fields are in the Sickness benefit reference.

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Sickness benefit 2026

As of September 26, 2026, unchanged since January 1, 2027.

Legal citations stay in German, exactly as they appear in the official sources.

Component	Value	Type	Valid	Legal basis	Source
Sickness benefit as a percentage of regular pay	70%	rate	from January 1, 2015	§ 47 Abs. 1 Satz 1 SGB V	Source
Cap as a percentage of net pay	90%	hoechstsatz	from January 1, 2015	§ 47 Abs. 1 Satz 2 SGB V	Source
Maximum benefit period for the same illness	78 weeks	dauer	from January 1, 2015	§ 48 Abs. 1 Satz 1 SGB V	Source
Reference period for the maximum benefit period	3 years	frist	from January 1, 2015	§ 48 Abs. 1 Satz 1 SGB V	Source
Interval for a new claim after exhaustion	6 months	frist	from January 1, 2015	§ 48 Abs. 2 SGB V	Source

Child sickness benefit 2026

As of September 26, 2026, unchanged since January 1, 2027.

Component	Value	Type	Valid	Legal basis	Source
Child sickness benefit as a percentage of lost net pay	90%	rate	from January 1, 2015	§ 45 Abs. 2 Satz 3 SGB V	Source
Child sickness benefit with a one-off payment in the last twelve months	100%	rate	from January 1, 2015	§ 45 Abs. 2 Satz 3 SGB V	Source
Cap on child sickness benefit as a percentage of the daily contribution ceiling	70%	hoechstsatz	from January 1, 2015	§ 45 Abs. 2 Satz 3 Halbsatz 2 SGB V i. V. m. § 223 Abs. 3 SGB V	Source

Sickness benefit 2027

Already promulgated, not yet in force.

Component	Value	Type	Valid	Legal basis	Source
Sickness benefit after employment ends during incapacity, percent of net pay	60%	rate	from January 1, 2027	§ 47 Abs. 2a SGB V in der Fassung von Art. 1 Nr. 18 Buchst. b GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz, in Kraft 01.01.2027 (Art. 8 Abs. 2)	Source
Sickness benefit after employment ends, with a child, percent of net pay	67%	rate	from January 1, 2027	§ 47 Abs. 2a SGB V in der Fassung von Art. 1 Nr. 18 Buchst. b GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz, in Kraft 01.01.2027 (Art. 8 Abs. 2)	Source

Sickness benefit since 2015

Every change to a component with its validity, newest first.

Component	Value	Type	Valid	Legal basis	Source
Sickness benefit after employment ends during incapacity, percent of net pay	60%	rate	from January 1, 2027	§ 47 Abs. 2a SGB V in der Fassung von Art. 1 Nr. 18 Buchst. b GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz, in Kraft 01.01.2027 (Art. 8 Abs. 2)	Source
Sickness benefit after employment ends, with a child, percent of net pay	67%	rate	from January 1, 2027	§ 47 Abs. 2a SGB V in der Fassung von Art. 1 Nr. 18 Buchst. b GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz, in Kraft 01.01.2027 (Art. 8 Abs. 2)	Source
Sickness benefit as a percentage of regular pay	70%	rate	from January 1, 2015	§ 47 Abs. 1 Satz 1 SGB V	Source
Cap as a percentage of net pay	90%	hoechstsatz	from January 1, 2015	§ 47 Abs. 1 Satz 2 SGB V	Source
Maximum benefit period for the same illness	78 weeks	dauer	from January 1, 2015	§ 48 Abs. 1 Satz 1 SGB V	Source
Reference period for the maximum benefit period	3 years	frist	from January 1, 2015	§ 48 Abs. 1 Satz 1 SGB V	Source
Interval for a new claim after exhaustion	6 months	frist	from January 1, 2015	§ 48 Abs. 2 SGB V	Source
Child sickness benefit as a percentage of lost net pay	90%	rate	from January 1, 2015	§ 45 Abs. 2 Satz 3 SGB V	Source
Child sickness benefit with a one-off payment in the last twelve months	100%	rate	from January 1, 2015	§ 45 Abs. 2 Satz 3 SGB V	Source
Cap on child sickness benefit as a percentage of the daily contribution ceiling	70%	hoechstsatz	from January 1, 2015	§ 45 Abs. 2 Satz 3 Halbsatz 2 SGB V i. V. m. § 223 Abs. 3 SGB V	Source

Rules from statutes and administrative guidance

Insured persons are entitled to sickness benefit if illness makes them unable to work or if they receive inpatient treatment at the expense of the health insurance fund (§ 44 Abs. 1 SGB V).
Not entitled are, among others, full-time self-employed persons without an election and employees who would not receive at least six weeks of continued pay when unable to work, such as those on very short fixed-term contracts, unless they make an election (§ 44 Abs. 2 SGB V).
The claim arises from the day a doctor certifies the incapacity for work, or from the start of inpatient treatment (§ 46 Satz 1 SGB V).
The claim continues if further incapacity due to the same illness is certified no later than the next working day after the certified end date; Saturdays do not count as working days here (§ 46 Satz 2 SGB V).
While the employer continues to pay wages, the claim to sickness benefit is suspended (§ 49 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 SGB V). In practice the health insurance fund therefore usually pays from the seventh week.
Sickness benefit is 70 percent of regular pay and at most 90 percent of net pay (§ 47 Abs. 1 Satz 1 und 2 SGB V).
Regular pay counts only up to the daily contribution ceiling (§ 47 Abs. 6 SGB V). The maximum daily sickness benefit is therefore 70 percent of one thirtieth of the monthly health insurance contribution ceiling.
Sickness benefit is paid per calendar day; a full calendar month counts as 30 days (§ 47 Abs. 1 Satz 6 und 7 SGB V).
For the same illness, sickness benefit is paid for at most 78 weeks within any three-year period, counted from the start of the incapacity (§ 48 Abs. 1 SGB V).
Child sickness benefit is paid if, according to a doctor, a sick and insured child under twelve, or a disabled child who needs help, must be cared for and no other person in the household can do so (§ 45 Abs. 1 SGB V).
Child sickness benefit is 90 percent of lost net pay, or 100 percent if a one-off payment subject to contributions was received in the last twelve months, capped at 70 percent of the daily contribution ceiling (§ 45 Abs. 2 Satz 3 SGB V).
For the duration of child sickness benefit, employees are entitled to unpaid leave from their employer; this cannot be excluded by contract (§ 45 Abs. 3 SGB V).
From January 1, 2027, a three-month waiting period applies after an election for sickness benefit, unless the election is made within 14 days of the start of membership or a change of status (§ 44 Abs. 2 SGB V new version) (GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz, BGBl. 2026 I Nr. 228).
From January 1, 2028, partial incapacity of 25, 50 or 75 percent with partial sickness benefit applies (§ 44 Abs. 1a, § 44c, § 47 Abs. 1a SGB V new version) (GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz, BGBl. 2026 I Nr. 228).

The API returns these statements in the regeln field, so software and agents can display them.

As JSON and CSV

Every request returns JSON. The history since 2015 is also available as a CSV file with format=csv, and with trennzeichen=semikolon it fits Excel with German regional settings. More in Responses and CSV.

Terminal

curl "https://api.quellenkontor.dev/v1/hr/krankengeld/verlauf?format=csv&trennzeichen=semikolon" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $QK_KEY" -o krankengeld.csv

Parameters

Parameters	Type	Meaning
`datum`date	date	Effective date in the format YYYY-MM-DD. Defaults to today.
`bestandteil`text	text	Return and cite only this component, for example for a single question (optional). Allowed values are the component ids.

All response fields with types, allowed values, defaults and error cases are in the Sickness benefit reference.

Questions about this dataset

How much is sickness benefit in Germany?

70 percent of regular gross pay subject to contributions, but no more than 90 percent of net pay (§ 47 Abs. 1 SGB V). Pay counts only up to the health insurance contribution ceiling.

How long is sickness benefit paid?

For the same illness, at most 78 weeks within three years from the start of the incapacity (§ 48 Abs. 1 SGB V). Weeks of continued pay by the employer count toward this limit.

How much is child sickness benefit?

90 percent of lost net pay, or 100 percent if you received a one-off payment subject to contributions, such as a Christmas bonus, in the previous twelve months. Capped at 70 percent of the daily contribution ceiling (§ 45 Abs. 2 SGB V).

How often is the dataset updated?

When the law changes. We check the data against the official sources every week, and every change is logged in the changelog. On the Pro plan, a webhook notifies your server.

Germany sickness benefit 2026: rates, cap and duration

Sickness benefit 2026

Child sickness benefit 2026

Sickness benefit 2027

Sickness benefit since 2015

Rules from statutes and administrative guidance

As JSON and CSV

Parameters

Questions about this dataset

Related datasets

Continued pay during sickness

Social security reference values

Social security contribution rates

Parental leave: duration, deadlines and part-time work

Related datasets

Continued pay during sickness
Duration, waiting period, deadlines and proof for continued pay during sickness under the EFZG since 2015.
APIMCPwhen the law changes

Social security reference values
Contribution ceilings, compulsory insurance threshold and reference value per year, West and East.
APIMCPyearly on January 1

Social security contribution rates
Health, pension, unemployment and long-term care insurance with employer and employee share.
APIMCPyearly and with every change

Parental leave: duration, deadlines and part-time work
Maximum duration, notice periods, dismissal protection and part-time limits of German parental leave under the BEEG, by the child's date of birth.
APIMCPwhen the law changes, transition by date of birth