Question 6
Mrs. Seger has a child. What does she have to do to receive parental allowance?
German original: Frau Seger bekommt ein Kind. Was muss sie tun, um Elterngeld zu erhalten?. In the test, all questions are asked in German.
Answer options
- She has to write to her health insurance company.
- She must submit an application to the parental allowance office. — Correct answer
- She doesn't have to do anything because she automatically receives parental allowance.
- She must ask the employment office for permission.
Explanation
Parental allowance (Elterngeld) must be applied for. After the birth, parents must submit an application to the responsible parental allowance office. It is not paid out automatically.
Key terms in this question
- must / has to — A modal auxiliary verb that expresses obligation or necessity. It indicates that something is required or mandatory.
- Woman / Mrs. / Ms. — A female person. The word is also used as a polite form of address for adult women, for example 'Frau Müller'.
- child — A child is a person from birth until the beginning of adulthood. In legal terms in Germany, a person is considered a child as long as they are under 18 years of age.
- receives / gets — 'Bekommt' is the third person singular present tense of the verb 'bekommen', meaning that someone receives or gets something.
- parents — Parents are the mother and father of a child. They are responsible for raising and caring for their children.
- money — Money is a means of payment used to buy or sell goods and services.
- elderly / old (people) — 'Alten' is the plural or declined form of the German adjective 'alt' (old). It is used to refer to elderly people or as an adjective modifying a noun, e.g. 'die alten Menschen' (the old people).
- parental allowance — Parental allowance is a government payment given to parents after the birth of their child, allowing them to take time off work to care for the baby.