Overview
- About 1.2 million households receive Wohngeld, which was raised on January 1, 2025 and will next be recalculated in January 2027, so no further increase is planned for 2026.
- Entitlement is determined individually using household size, total income and regional rent ceilings set by Mietenstufen, with no legal limit on apartment size considered for eligibility.
- Wohngeld can be taken alongside Kinderzuschlag, Kindergeld, Elterngeld, unemployment insurance benefits (ALG I) and pensions, but generally not with Bürgergeld, SGB XII social assistance or most BAföG; applications and payments are handled separately by different agencies.
- A €1,800 income disregard can apply for household members with severe disabilities or those receiving care, and care-related supports include the underused €131 monthly Entlastungsbetrag plus a complementary Entlastungsbudget introduced on July 1, 2025.
- Local administration can create hurdles, as shown by a Hannover case where payments were briefly halted over a ‘Wohnen für Hilfe’ arrangement before being restored; awards are typically granted for 12 months and paid monthly in advance.