Overview
- The means-tested subsidy must be applied for with the local Wohngeld office, is paid monthly in advance, is typically approved for 12 months, and is not retroactive.
- The benefit rose by about 15% on January 1, 2025 under the two‑year adjustment cycle, and roughly 1.2 million households receive support under the broadened Wohngeld‑Plus rules.
- Entitlement depends on household size, total income, eligible housing costs and the local rent level (Mietenstufen I–VII), with large cities like Munich in the top tier and owners eligible via a burden allowance covering items such as interest and repayment.
- Pensioner examples show protected amounts for the basic pension, possible disability allowances, and required minimum income, while allowable work-related expenses and standard deductions reduce countable income.
- Consumer advisors report long processing times in some municipalities and warn against fee-based sites that do not forward applications, and care allowance generally is not counted as income for the care recipient but can partly count for caregivers in defined cases.