How quickly does the care level come through?

The statutory limit is 5 weeks from the date of application. In Berlin it currently often takes 6-8 weeks. Benefits are paid retroactively to the date of application.

Can I apply for a care level retroactively?

Yes — the application takes effect from the day it is filed. So if you apply today and the decision arrives in 6 weeks, you receive the benefit for those 6 weeks as a back payment.

What happens if the care level is too low?

You can lodge an objection within 4 weeks. With reasons — ideally a fresh care diary and medical certificates. We support families through appeals.

Do I already need a doctor’s report to apply?

No. But the assessor will want to see findings from the last 2 years. Have them ready before the MDK appointment.

Who helps with the application?

We offer care advice that does exactly this: drafting the application, preparing for the MDK appointment, setting out the grounds for an appeal.

Applying for a care level — the steps in detail

A care level (Pflegegrad) opens the door to benefits that make care affordable: the care allowance (Pflegegeld), benefits in kind (Sachleistungen), respite care (Verhinderungspflege), the relief allowance (Entlastungsbetrag), grants for adapting the home. Before any of it is paid, though, the application has to be filed and the care level formally determined. Here is how that works and what to watch out for.

Step 1: file the application with the Pflegekasse

The application goes to the statutory long-term care insurance fund (Pflegekasse) — the body attached to your health insurer. No form is needed; a single line is enough: “Hiermit beantrage ich Leistungen nach dem Pflegeversicherungsgesetz.” (I hereby apply for benefits under the long-term care insurance act.)

Important: the application counts retroactively from the date it is filed. Once the decision arrives, benefits are paid from that day. So send it off quickly, even if you do not yet have all the paperwork together.

Step 2: the MDK assessment appointment

Within 4-6 weeks the medical review board (Medizinischer Dienst — MD, in Berlin MD Nord) will get in touch and arrange a home visit. The assessment takes 1-2 hours.

What is assessed: how independent the person still is across 6 areas (mobility; cognitive and communication abilities; behaviour and psychological problems; self-care; coping with the demands of illness and treatment; organising everyday life).

What you should prepare: a care diary (Pflegetagebuch) covering at least 1 week, a list of all medication, all medical findings from the last 2 years, and an overview of aids and equipment.

Step 3: the decision and, if needed, an appeal

The decision has to arrive within 5 weeks of the application being filed — a statutory deadline under § 18 SGB XI. If the deadline is missed, you are entitled to 70 € for every week of delay begun.

If the care level comes out too low: you have 4 weeks from receipt of the decision to lodge an objection (Widerspruch). No particular form is required, but it should set out reasons and include new evidence.

The care levels at a glance (as of 2026)

Pflegegrad 1 (12.5–26.9 points): no care allowance, no budget for benefits in kind — only the relief allowance and individual benefits.

Pflegegrad 2 (27–47.4 points): 332 € care allowance, 761 € benefits in kind per month.

Pflegegrad 3 (47.5–69.9 points): 573 € care allowance, €1,432 benefits in kind.

Pflegegrad 4 (70–89.9 points): 765 € care allowance, €1,778 benefits in kind.

Pflegegrad 5 (from 90 points): 947 € care allowance, €2,200 benefits in kind.

Plus 125 € relief allowance in each case, and up to €1,612 a year for respite care.

Frequently asked questions

How quickly does the care level come through?
The statutory limit is 5 weeks from the date of application. In Berlin it currently often takes 6-8 weeks. Benefits are paid retroactively to the date of application.
Can I apply for a care level retroactively?
Yes — the application takes effect from the day it is filed. So if you apply today and the decision arrives in 6 weeks, you receive the benefit for those 6 weeks as a back payment.
What happens if the care level is too low?
You can lodge an objection within 4 weeks. With reasons — ideally a fresh care diary and medical certificates. We support families through appeals.
Do I already need a doctor’s report to apply?
No. But the assessor will want to see findings from the last 2 years. Have them ready before the MDK appointment.
Who helps with the application?
We offer care advice that does exactly this: drafting the application, preparing for the MDK appointment, setting out the grounds for an appeal.

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