Overview
- Germany’s housing ministry says asset thresholds used by offices remain unchanged in 2026, with €60,000 as a guide for one person and €30,000 for each additional household member.
- Savings locked for retirement do not count if access is barred until pension age, with up to €1,500 per year of age excluded to a cap of €90,000.
- Eligibility depends on household size, counted income, and rent or owner costs including heating, and the ministry’s online calculator offers a non‑binding estimate as average awards hover around €370 a month.
- Applications run through local Wohngeld offices and typically require ID, rent or mortgage proofs, and income records, and payments start in the month you file rather than retroactively.
- Courts have tightened enforcement, with VG Bayreuth demanding bank‑traceable rent payments and tax proof for family leases and SG Freiburg ordering Jobcenter to reimburse necessary moving and storage costs, while case law also allows double rent in defined hardship cases.