Income limits for home care and communal housing client fees to rise
The client fee for home care and communal housing is determined, among other things, by the client's gross income. When calculating the fee, the income limit based on the size of the family is deducted from the gross income. For example, the income limit for a single person will rise from the current €653 to €699 from the beginning of 2026. As the income limits are raised, the amount to be deducted from the income increases, which in turn reduces the client fee. However, the final new amount of the client fee will only be confirmed in the individual annual review, when other factors affecting the client fee are taken into account.
More money left for personal use in long-term services
The client fee for long-term 24-hour service housing, long-term family care and long-term institutional care takes into account the minimum amount of disposable funds defined by law. The minimum amount of disposable funds is the amount of money left for the client's personal use, which the client uses to pay for small purchases, such as clothes and toiletries.
The minimum amount of disposable funds for long-term, 24-hour service housing and family care will be increased from €182 to €195. The minimum amount of disposable funds for long-term institutional care will be increased from €122 to €131.
Payment decision reviews to take increases in income limits and the minimum amount of disposable funds into account
Increases in income limits and the minimum amount of disposable funds will be taken into account in new client fee decisions.
Payment cap to rise from €762 to €815
The payment cap limits the amount of fees that can be charged during a calendar year. From 1 January 2026 onwards, the payment cap for health care and social welfare client fees (maximum payment limits) will rise from €762 to €815 per calendar year. The change may potentially increase the amount of client fees that clients have to pay per year.
Increases in client fees from 1 February 2026 onwards
A large part of the client fees for health care and social welfare will be subject to an index increase of 6.93% from 1 February 2026 onwards. We will provide more details on this increase in January.
