Wohngeld: What Counts as Income and How Authorities Check It
New practical guidance explains which earnings affect payments and how local offices verify claims, with reports showing inconsistent thresholds for when beneficiaries must notify income rises.
Overview
- Entitlement to Wohngeld depends on three core facts: the household’s rent or owner burden, the number of household members, and the legally calculated household income.
- Local Wohngeldstellen require income evidence, can request bank data under §23 WoGG, and run automated data matches—officials say these checks can occur about once a quarter.
- Small capital returns are exempt up to €100 per person per year while income from Minijobs and other Nebenverdienste is counted in full when calculating the annual income.
- Coverage reports disagree on the notification threshold for income increases: one expert cited a >10% rule but the official wording and other reporting point to a >15% threshold under §27 WoGG, and income rises that meet the threshold can trigger recalculation and repayment rules under §50 SGB X or social-fraud proceedings.
- Calculation mechanics matter for amounts paid: pauschalabzüge of 10–30% apply under §16 WoGG, disability or care Freibeträge can reduce assessable income (reported up to €1,800 per eligible person), and national rent tables set the maximum rent counted toward the subsidy.