What should I keep in mind if I receive an orphan’s pension?
In Germany, there are two types of orphan’s pensions. Both are regular payments paid out to an applicant in place of maintenance payments of a deceased parent. One type of orphan’s pension (Waisenrente) is awarded to the children of deceased employees, while the other type (Waisengeld) is reserved for the children of deceased civil servants. Here, we will use the umbrella term “orphan’s pension” in reference to both.
For the purpose of calculating financial aid eligibility, an applicant’s orphan’s pension is considered income to the actual received amount and are counted against the applicant’s basic needs (§ 21 para. 3 no. 1 BAföG).
However, a sum of 130 EUR of the orphan’s pension will not be counted against the applicant’s basic monthly needs in the case of students studying at colleges/universities as per § 23 para. 4 no. 1 BAföG. The applicant must provide a pension approval certificate and other documents showing the amount of orphan’s pension along with the application for BAföG.