Purpose

Housing benefit is paid on application as a subsidy towards the costs of owner-occupied housing in order to ensure adequate and family-friendly housing.

Object

Housing benefit is paid as a rent subsidy for rented apartments and comparable housing, and as an encumbrance allowance for owner-occupied and comparable housing.

Entitled persons

Tenants of an apartment can receive housing benefit as a rent subsidy on application. The same applies to people who sublet or live in a home (e.g. retirement or nursing home).

Owners of their own home, a condominium or an agricultural sideline can apply for housing benefit as an encumbrance allowance for owner-occupied housing.

Reasons for exclusion (no entitlement to housing benefit):

• Recipients of so-called transfer benefits (e.g. citizen's allowance in accordance with SGB II, basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity, assistance with living expenses) are generally excluded from housing benefit if the costs of accommodation have been taken into account when calculating the transfer benefit.
• Single students and trainees can only receive housing benefit if they are not entitled to benefits to support their training (e.g. BAföG, training allowance).
• There is no entitlement to housing benefit if the claim would be abusive, in particular due to considerable assets.

Eligible costs

Rent and housing costs are only eligible up to a maximum amount determined by law. This depends on the number of household members to be taken into account and the rent level of the municipality. Further information can be obtained from the relevant housing benefit authority (see "Who is responsible for you").

Type and amount

The amount of housing benefit you are entitled to in the form of a rent or service charge subsidy depends on

• the number of household members to be taken into account
• the total income and
• the amount of eligible rent or charges for the living space.