Overview
- About 1.2 million people currently receive Wohngeld, yet expert assessments say hundreds of thousands more likely qualify but have not applied, with average payments reported around €370 per month.
- People with severe disabilities can deduct an additional €1,800 per year from countable income, typically with a disability degree of 100 or from 50 with care level 2–5, and the allowance applies per eligible household member.
- Wohngeld rose by an average of 15 percent on January 1, 2025, building on the 2023 Wohngeld‑Plus reform that added flat components for heating costs and an energy‑efficiency climate element.
- Certain benefits are not counted as income for Wohngeld, including child benefit, child supplement, education and participation benefits, and care allowance; asset checks commonly use thresholds of €60,000 for the first household member and €30,000 for each additional person, and recipients of Bürgergeld or Sozialhilfe cannot claim Wohngeld.
- There is no fixed apartment‑size limit for eligibility, as rent ceilings are set by local rent bands (Mietenstufen), with only the capped amount—plus heating and climate components—entering the calculation.