Overview
- Authorities stress there is no fixed square‑metre cap for Wohngeld; eligibility depends on household size, the household’s counted income and the regionally set berücksichtigungsfähige Miete rather than apartment size.
- For 2026 the maximum considered rent for a one‑person household ranges by local Mietstufe from about €490.60 to €806.60 per month, which limits how much of a high rent can be included in the subsidy calculation.
- Certain benefits and special rules change entitlement: recipients of BAföG or SGB II housing‑covered benefits are excluded from Wohngeld, under‑25 household members have an annual €1,200 income exemption, and Pflegegeld is not counted as income for the new Grundsicherung under SGB XI.
- Targeted allowances exist that raise net eligibility for some claimants, including a reported €1,800 annual Freibetrag for people with severe disability or care needs and a pregnancy Mehrbedarf of 17% of the Regelbedarf from the 13th week plus a separately applied Erstausstattung for newborns.
- Legislative steps matter: a government referentenentwurf would raise 2027 Hinzuverdienstgrenzen for Erwerbsminderungsrenten but still requires federal approval, and a separate Wohngeld reform proposal that would pause the 2027 index and halve a heating component is under Bundesrat review and could change future payments.