Pflegegeld levels in Austria
Level 1 applies with more than 65 hours of care need per month; levels 5 to 7 need more than 180 hours plus an additional condition. (BPGG § 4 Abs 2)
Which level of Pflegegeld (long-term care allowance) applies depends on the care need in hours per month. The highest levels also need a special condition.
Last updated:
| Level | Care need per month | Pflegegeld per month 2026 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | more than 65 hours | 206,20 EUR | |
| Level 2 | more than 95 hours | 380,30 EUR | |
| Level 3 | more than 120 hours | 592,60 EUR | |
| Level 4 | more than 160 hours | 888,50 EUR | |
| Level 5 | more than 180 hours | 1.206,90 EUR | plus a special condition |
| Level 6 | more than 180 hours | 1.685,40 EUR | plus a special condition |
| Level 7 | more than 180 hours | 2.214,80 EUR | plus a special condition |
| Level | Additional condition |
|---|---|
| 5 | exceptional care effort, for example a carer constantly on standby or regular checks, also at night (EinstV § 6) |
| 6 | care that cannot be planned in advance and is regularly needed by day and night, or constant presence by day and night because the person is a danger to themselves or others (EinstV § 7) |
| 7 | practically no purposeful movements of arms and legs possible, or a similarly severe condition (in the law: no purposeful movements of the four limbs with functional use, or an equivalent condition, BPGG § 4 Abs 2) |
Source of the values: BPGG § 4 Abs 2 und § 5, Beträge 2026 laut Verordnung BGBl. II Nr. 263/2025, geprüft 25.09.2026 gegen die Seite des Sozialministeriums. Rules as of 26.09.2026.
How the care need is counted
What counts is the time for care and help that a person regularly needs:
- Care: dressing and undressing, personal hygiene, eating, medication
- Help in the household: shopping, laundry and cleaning
The Einstufungsverordnung (Classification Ordinance) sets a time value for each care task. Guideline values are the starting point and apply as long as the actual effort does not clearly differ. Minimum values are lower limits; more only counts if the effort is considerably higher. The sum gives the hours per month, and the table shows which level goes with it.
For children and young people there is a separate ordinance with its own values, the Kinder-Einstufungsverordnung. For dementia and other severe mental or psychological disabilities, a fixed hardship supplement (Erschwerniszuschlag) is added (EinstV § 1 Abs 6). Age limits and values are in the ordinances linked below.
The glossary explains these terms:
Is your level right?
Describe a normal day. The checker matches your sentences to the rules and works out whether the level in the Bescheid fits.
Check my Bescheid- Bundespflegegeldgesetz (BPGG, Federal Long-Term Care Allowance Act), current version in the RIS (Austrian legal information system)
- Einstufungsverordnung zum BPGG (EinstV, Classification Ordinance), current version in the RIS
- Kinder-Einstufungsverordnung (Kinder-EinstV, Classification Ordinance for children), current version in the RIS
- Sozialministerium (Ministry of Social Affairs): Pflegegeld
This is not legal advice. The Arbeiterkammer (Chamber of Labour) and disability associations advise their members on the Bescheid and the court action.