Overview
- By the end of 2024 about 1.19 million households received Wohngeld and nearly 700,000 of them were retirees, reflecting the broadened eligibility from the 2023 reform and the 2025 adjustments.
- Local processing times have stretched to months, with Augsburg reporting average handling of three to four months and other cities like Bremen often taking longer.
- A frequent and avoidable cause of delay is incomplete documentation, especially a full rental contract, a landlord or rental certificate, and bank statements proving rent payments.
- Key rules applicants should know are that debts and debt repayments are not counted as income, severely disabled people can claim a €1,800 annual Freibetrag that lowers counted income, and Wohngeld is normally paid monthly in advance to the tenant but can be paid to landlords with written consent or in defined exceptions.
- Municipalities have explored automation and AI to speed decisions, but implementation is paused pending state funding decisions, a gap that risks longer payment delays for households and increases pressure for federal or state support.