Barmer: Women apply three times as often for Child Benefit as Men
Women apply three times as often for Child Sickness Benefit data from Barmer than Men. "They stay home more frequently to ensure care for their sick child", explained Barmer Chairman Christoph Straub in Berlin on Friday. The Barmer analyzed their data from the previous year.
Accordingly, among Barmer insured individuals, there were 292,962 corresponding applications from women and 104,259 applications from men. Child Sickness Benefit is "an important instrument to reduce burdens on parents and create a healthy environment for families", Straub stated. However, the investigation showed that "women still carry the main burden of childcare".
In total, Child Sickness Benefit was reportedly applied for 397,221 times at Barmer in the previous year. Approximately 500,000 and 490,000 such applications were made nationwide in the years 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Barmer noted that since this year, parents have an extended claim to Child Sickness Benefit. One parent can now apply for the benefit for 15 days per child, while single parents can apply for 30 days. Parents with more than two children can receive Child Sickness Benefit for up to 35 days, while single parents with more than two children can receive it for up to 70 days.
Barmer Chairman Christoph Straub mentioned that women apply for Child Sickness Benefit three times more frequently than men, largely due to their increased responsibility in ensuring child care when a child is sick. This trend was observed in the analyzed data from the previous year, where 292,962 applications were submitted by women compared to 104,259 by men. In light of this finding, Barmer extended the claim period for Child Sickness Benefit, allowing one parent to apply for 15 days per child, and single parents to apply for up to 30 days, recognizing the significant role of both men and women in child care.
