Housing benefit helps low-income citizens with their housing costs. It is a state subsidy towards the costs of owner-occupied housing. Tenants can receive housing benefit as a rent subsidy and owners of owner-occupied apartments or owner-occupied homes as a so-called encumbrance allowance.
Who receives housing benefit? The most important questions and answers
What determines whether I am entitled to housing benefit?
the number of household members to be taken into account
the amount of the total income
the amount of the eligible rent or charge.
Trainees and students can claim housing benefit if one or more household members are not entitled to vocational training allowance (BAB) or BAföG.
Who is not entitled to housing benefit?
Recipients of the following social benefits are not entitled to housing benefit if the costs of accommodation were taken into account when calculating the benefit:
Citizen's income
Transitional allowance and injury benefit, in each case in the amount of unemployment benefit II, also in the case of advances and payments on account on transitional and injury benefit
Subsidies for uncovered accommodation costs for trainees and students
Basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity
Assistance with living expenses
Supplementary assistance for living expenses or other assistance in an inpatient facility that covers living expenses in accordance with the Federal Pension Act or a law that declares this to be applicable
Benefits for asylum seekers
Child and youth welfare, if only recipients of these benefits live in the household
- The costs of accommodation are covered as part of these social benefits.
Procedure
In order to receive housing benefit, citizens must submit an application for housing benefit (rent subsidy) or an application for housing benefit (burden subsidy) to the housing benefit authority in person or by post. An application sent by e-mail is only valid if the e-mail has an electronic signature. The application can be submitted in person during office hours (Tuesday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 noon and Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.). Consultations are also possible during these times.
What else needs to be considered?
Housing benefit is generally granted for twelve months. In order to continue receiving housing benefit after the approval period, a new application is required. The so-called application for continued benefits can be submitted at the earliest two months before the end of the approval period.
Housing benefit is always granted retroactively to the first of the month in which the application is received.
The application must be accompanied by appropriate evidence, such as a rental agreement, proof of monthly charges for the home, wage and salary statements.
All changes in the above-mentioned eligibility requirements, e.g. moving house, change in rent/burden, change in income or change in the number of household members, etc. must be reported immediately.
