Overview
- The federal draft law would add a €15 floor to the Wohngeld calculation so any monthly benefit below that level would no longer be paid, a move the government says would help save about €2 billion split between federal and state budgets.
- Officials estimate the change could remove entitlement for about one third of current Wohngeld households, with renters and many pensioners among those most likely to lose payments.
- Current law requires beneficiaries to notify authorities only of income increases above 15 percent while recipients may request a recalculation if income falls by more than 10 percent, so many should seek a recalculation rather than assume automatic adjustments.
- Recent court decisions have raised the bar for authorities to reduce disability findings by requiring proof of a material medical improvement and have confirmed that an unexpired Schwerbehindertenausweis does not guarantee permanent protection of the original rating.
- Practical protections and deadlines matter: a timely Widerspruch generally preserves existing entitlement during review, claims for Einstiegsgeld must be made before starting a job to be eligible, and beneficiaries should request Akteneinsicht and submit medical evidence quickly to defend disability or benefit claims.