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Germany Rules Out Wohngeld Increase for 2026 as Access Reforms Gather Pace

The last statutory uplift took effect in January 2025 under the biennial recalculation, with the next scheduled for January 2027.

Overview

  • The housing subsidy was last raised on 1 January 2025 by an average of about 15 percent (roughly €30 per month), and the next planned adjustment is due in January 2027.
  • Entitlement and amount hinge on household size, total income and eligible housing costs, with renters receiving a Mietzuschuss and owner‑occupiers a Lastenzuschuss under the Wohngeld ordinance.
  • People with severe disabilities can reduce assessable income by €1,800 per year, typically at GdB 100 or from GdB 50 when combined with care level 2–5, applied per eligible household member.
  • Roughly 1.2 million households currently receive Wohngeld, with about 44 percent families and around 52 percent including pensioners, according to the housing ministry.
  • A November Fraunhofer FOKUS study found complex, documentation‑heavy applications and long waits, and its findings feed into a cross‑level modernization project with results due by late December 2025.