Germany's new mothers' pension (Mütterrente III) to start paying in 2028

The German government will introduce a revised "Mütterrente III" that equalises pension credits for mothers regardless of when their children were born. Under the reform, all mothers will receive up to 36 months of child‑rearing credit, instead of the previous split of 30 months for children born before 1992 and 36 months for later births.

The law takes effect on 1 January 2027, but technical adjustments mean the first payments are expected no earlier than 2028. Beneficiaries whose pension begins in 2028 will receive the credit together with their regular pension, while those whose pension starts earlier will receive a retroactive payment for 2027. The additional cost will be covered by federal tax funds reimbursed to the Deutsche Rentenversicherung.

Implementation challenges were highlighted by Anja Piel, chair of the DRV’s federal board, who said at least two years are needed to adapt the pension system.

The reform aims to close the disparity between mothers of older and younger children and is financed through the federal budget rather than new contributions.