The parliamentary group The Left submitted two motions to the German Bundestag on 3 November 2026, seeking to respite care as a standalone entitlement and reject the government’s planned changes as part of the Care Reorganisation Act. The motions (Parliamentary Paper 21/8927 and Parliamentary Paper 21/8928) oppose merging respite care and short-term care as well as cuts to benefits that the parliamentary group considers imminent.
The initiatives centre on a demand to retain the current distinction between respite care and short-term care. The Left argues that a reorganisation under the government’s draft could make it harder to access care and place additional burdens on family carers. It also calls for respite care to be extended to care level 1, the relief allowance to secure, preserve entitlement to everyday support and ensure reliable funding for access to respite care. These points are expressly set out in the motions.
The submissions come against the backdrop of ongoing discussions on the Care Reorganisation Act in the Bundestag. The Federal Government’s draft bill to reorganise the long-term care insurance has been under parliamentary consideration since early November. Alongside the Left’s motions, positions from other opposition groups and statements from organisations are also being discussed. Representatives of Lebenshilfe and other organisations have called for amendments and warned of possible cuts to benefits. The government side reportedly points to the need for structural reorganisation and reliable funding for long-term care insurance; no specific decisions have yet been made.
If the Left’s demands are not adopted, the group believes that people in need of care and their relatives could face restrictions on support services available at short notice. Retaining respite care as a separate entitlement, by contrast, would safeguard the established provision of replacement care for a limited period. In financial terms, the discussions remain divided over how long-term care insurance should be funded in future – through tax subsidies, higher contributions or new sources of funding. In this context, the Left advocates steps towards comprehensive long-term care insurance.
The current parliamentary proceedings, which specifically refer to the above-mentioned Bundestag printed papers and the draft bill to reorganise long-term care insurance, are the occasion for this report. Earlier contributions to the debate are included solely for context and are attributed accordingly. Further dates and possible changes to the government’s draft bill are expected as committee and plenary discussions continue.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).