Overview
- The government approved a draft to ‘neustrukturieren’ Wohngeld to find roughly €1 billion for the 2027 budget, but the change cannot be made by administrative decision because §43 of the Wohngeldgesetz mandates statutory adjustments.
- Official modelling in the draft estimates about 381,000 households could lose Wohngeld and roughly 143,000 of those might be pushed into SGB II or SGB XII, with the government forecasting about €72 million less for Kinderzuschlag annually from 2029.
- Existing Wohngeld and Kinderzuschlag awards remain valid until their current expiry dates; only a parliamentary law change could alter future entitlements, so approved claims made under today’s rules keep their protection for their benefit periods.
- A cut would hit retirees, single parents and low-wage workers hardest by removing an average monthly top-up (around €287–€380 in reporting) and could force many to apply for Grundsicherung, triggering asset checks and more intrusive administration.
- Separate but related pension clarifications include the LAG Hamm order questioning full‑time applications by full Erwerbsminderungsrentner, the Arbeitserprobung rules in force since January 2024 that let recipients test return-to-work for about six months, and DRV guidance that emigration does not create a general lump-sum payout and that regional pension averages can differ by around €500 per month.