Overview
- Authorities pay Wohngeld at the end of the prior month, so the December 2025 installment is executed on Friday, Nov. 28, as Nov. 30 falls on a Sunday.
- Eligible groups include low‑income workers, many retirees, students without BAföG, and care‑home residents, while recipients of Bürgergeld or Sozialhilfe that already cover housing are excluded.
- Wohngeld is calculated from household size, combined income, and eligible rent or owner burden, capped by local Mietenstufen (one person: €361–€677; two persons: €437–€820).
- The Wohngeld‑Plus reform adds a statutory heating component and a climate element; the heating flat rate per §12 WoGG is tiered (e.g., €110.40 for one person, €142.60 for two), and an additional €1,800 income allowance for certain severely disabled or cared‑for persons can increase entitlement (reported by ABV).
- Roughly 1.2 million households receive Wohngeld with marked regional variation in average amounts (Destatis about €287 monthly), and no nationwide increase is scheduled for 2026 with the next recalculation due in January 2027.