Overview
- Wohngeld is typically approved for 12 months, paid monthly in advance, and renewals should be submitted roughly two months before the end of the award period, with processing commonly taking two to eight weeks.
- Entitlement is calculated individually based on household income, number of household members and eligible rent or housing burden, with local rent levels factored in and no single income cutoff.
- Renters can receive a Mietzuschuss while owner‑occupiers may qualify for a Lastenzuschuss that covers costs such as interest, repayment and certain charges, with applications filed at the municipal Wohngeldstelle.
- Households already receiving benefits that cover housing costs — including Bürgergeld or Sozialhilfe — are generally excluded under WoGG §7, and BAföG‑ or BAB‑entitled students and trainees usually do not qualify.
- Many pensioners are eligible yet underclaim; a Grundrenten‑Freibetrag shields part of the pension in the calculation, and applicants are urged to use the federal Wohngeldrechner and avoid commercial sites such as online-wohngeld.de.