Austrian childcare allowance 2026: which scheme pays more
Both schemes side by side in euros per day, per month and over the whole claim, before you commit to one on the application form.
Austrian childcare allowance (Kinderbetreuungsgeld, KBG) comes in two schemes. On the flat-rate account (KBG-Konto) one parent gets between €41.14 a day over 365 days and €17.65 over 851 days, but the total is always about €15,016: a longer claim spreads the same money more thinly. When both parents share it, the total rises to about €18,760 over 456 to 1063 days. The earnings-related scheme (einkommensabhängiges KBG) replaces 80 % of maternity pay or previous earnings, at least €41.14 and at most €80.12 a day, until the child's 365th day of life. On €2,000 net a month that is an estimated €61.54 a day and €22,462 over the year, €7,446 more than the shortest account. It requires 182 days of insured work before the birth. The choice binds both parents and can only be changed within 14 days of the first application.
Account allowance per day
€41.14
365 days · about €1,234 a month · total €15,016
| Estimated maternity pay (net + 17%) | €76.93 |
|---|---|
| Earnings-related per day (80%) | €61.54 |
| Earnings-related total (365 days) | €22,462 |
| Difference to the chosen account | €7,446 |
2026 earnings limit: €18,000 on the account, €8,600 on the earnings-related scheme.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Calculation method
What the calculator compares
Choose the account length in days from the birth and whether both parents will claim, then enter your monthly net pay before the birth. The calculator lines up the account's daily rate and total, an estimate of maternity pay, the earnings-related daily rate and the difference over the whole claim. Look at the total: on the account, a longer duration only moves the same money into more months.
The account: one sum, different lengths
| Length (one parent) | Per day | Per month (30 days) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 365 days | €41.14 | €1,234 | €15,016 |
| 456 days | €32.93 | €988 | €15,016 |
| 548 days | €27.40 | €822 | €15,015 |
| 730 days | €20.57 | €617 | €15,016 |
| 851 days | €17.65 | €530 | €15,020 |
The limits of €41.14 and €17.65 are published by the Federal Chancellery. If both parents claim, the account stretches from 456 to 1063 days; the second parent's reserved share is 91 days in the shortest version and 213 at 1063 days. For twins or more, the account rate rises by 50.0 % for each additional child; the earnings-related scheme has no such supplement.
Earnings-related: 80.0 % with a cap
| Monthly net | Estimated daily rate | Total (365 days) | Above shortest account |
|---|---|---|---|
| €1,500 | €46.16 | €16,848 | €1,832 |
| €2,000 | €61.54 | €22,462 | €7,446 |
| €2,500 | €76.93 | €28,079 | €13,063 |
| €3,000 | €80.12 | €29,244 | €14,228 |
The Federal Chancellery describes the earnings-related allowance as income replacement for parents who step away from work only briefly. It nearly always pays more, but for a shorter time: one parent can claim it for at most 365 days. How it is worked out from maternity pay and the tax assessment is explained on the page about the earnings-related childcare allowance; the mother's starting point is Wochengeld (maternity pay).
What matters besides the money
- Work before the birth: the earnings-related scheme needs 182 calendar days of uninterrupted work with Austrian health and pension insurance, without unemployment benefit. Newcomers to Austria who started a job only a few months before the birth often miss this and get the minimum.
- Side income: the account allows €18,000 per calendar year, or 60.0 % of earlier income if higher; the earnings-related scheme only €8,600. See earning while on childcare allowance.
- Time at home: if you plan two years with your child, the earnings-related scheme only covers the first.
- Blocks and handovers: each block lasts at least 61 days; at the first handover both parents may claim at the same time for up to 31 days, which shortens the total by those days.
All figures come from the childcare allowance brochure 2026. Our calculator estimates maternity pay from your net salary; your health insurer sets the binding amount.