Guide to Wohngeld (Housing benefit)
What is Wohngeld?
Wohngeld is a state subsidy for housing costs for low and middle-income households, provided under § 1 of the Wohngeldgesetz (WoGG). It is paid as a Mietzuschuss (rental subsidy) for tenants or a Lastenzuschuss (burden subsidy) for owners of self-occupied property.
Since 2023, the "Wohngeld-Plus" reform has been in effect, which includes a permanent heating cost component (Heizkomponente) and a climate component (Klimakomponente).
Important update as of 2026: The benefit was increased by an average of 15% on January 1, 2025 (approximately €30–70 per month per household). No further increases took effect in 2026. The values from the 2025 adjustment remain valid for 2026.

Who is eligible?
You are entitled to Wohngeld under § 3 WoGG if:
  • You do not receive Bürgergeld, Sozialhilfe, or other benefits that fully cover housing costs (exceptions: ALG I, pension, BAföG in some cases – these are not automatic exclusions) 
  • Your household income falls below a certain threshold (depends on family size, Mietstufe, and housing costs)
  • You legally reside in Germany (EU citizens/Germans/refugees with benefit entitlement)
Exclusions (under § 4 WoGG):
  • Recipients of Bürgergeld/SGB XII (except where Wohngeld would be more favorable)
  • Students eligible for BAföG (unless they have not applied or waived without reason)
Who can receive Wohngeld:
  • Low-wage earners
  • Pensioners (even with pensions of €1,000–1,200 per month)
  • Families
  • Single-person households
  • ALG I recipients
How much do you receive?
The amount is calculated individually under § 19 WoGG. The formula is:
Wohngeld = (admissible rent/burden + heating/climate component) minus income share
Average amount in 2025/2026: Approximately €287–370 per month.

Key components for 2026:
Climate component (Klimakomponente) under § 12(7) WoGG:
  • 1 person: €19.20/month
  • 2 persons: €24.80/month
  • 3 persons: €29.60/month
  • 4 persons: €34.40/month
  • 5 persons: €39.20/month
  • Each additional person: +€4.80/month
Heating cost relief under § 12(6) WoGG:
  • 1 person: €110.40/month
  • 2 persons: €142.60/month
  • 3 persons: €170.20/month
  • 4 persons: €197.80/month
  • 5 persons: €225.40/month
  • Each additional person: +€27.60/month
Maximum rent/burden amounts – by Mietstufe (I–VII) for 1 person:
  • Mietstufe I: €361
  • Mietstufe II: €408
  • Mietstufe III: €456
  • Mietstufe IV: €511
  • Mietstufe V: €562
  • Mietstufe VI: €615
  • Mietstufe VII: €677
The maximum rent/burden amounts are increased by the climate component. The heating cost relief is added to the rent.
Example calculation (1 person, Mietstufe III, Hallle/Saale, pension €1,200/month):
  • Admissible rent (Bruttokaltmiete): €456
  • Heating cost relief: €110.40
  • Climate component: €19.20
  • Total admissible housing costs: €585.60
  • Resulting Wohngeld: €220/month
Deadlines and application periods
Payment start: Wohngeld is paid from the month of application (§§ 22, 24 WoGG). Benefits are not paid retroactively, except when transitioning from Bürgergeld (up to 4 weeks).
Approval period: Standard approval is for 12 months, and can be extended up to 24 months if circumstances remain stable (§ 25 WoGG).
Renewal: You should submit a new application 2–3 months before the current approval period ends. You have up to one month after the period ends to apply without losing benefits (payment will be backdated to the first of the month after the previous period ended).
2025 increase: The increase took effect automatically for current recipients.

Common mistakes
  • Not accounting for all income deductions: Freibeträge for disability, maintenance obligations, etc. under §§ 16–18 WoGG are often overlooked.
  • Forgetting heating costs: Heating costs are not part of the Bruttokaltmiete but affect the calculation through the heating cost component.
  • Incorrect Mietstufe: The Mietstufe depends on your location – check it for your postal code.
  • Filing Widerspruch too late: You have 1 month from receipt of the decision (§ 84 SGB X).
  • Assuming ALG I or pension means no eligibility: This is frequently incorrect – even with these incomes, Wohngeld is often possible.
Core Rule: No Retroactive Payment
Wohngeld is paid only from the beginning of the month in which the application is submitted. This is a strict legal rule. If you apply, for example, on December 15, you are entitled to Wohngeld from December 1 (the full month), but not for November or any earlier months. There is no retroactive payment for past months, even if you were eligible earlier but did not apply on time.
Exception: Transition from Bürgergeld
When you apply for Bürgergeld, your Wohngeld approval automatically becomes invalid from the moment you submit the Bürgergeld application—even if the Jobcenter has not yet made a decision. This happens automatically by law, because the system does not allow two housing benefits to be received in parallel.
If the Jobcenter rejects your Bürgergeld application (e.g., because your assets exceed the limit), you have the option to reapply for Wohngeld with retroactive effect. For this, you must meet a strict deadline:
Your Wohngeld application must be submitted no later than the end of the calendar month following the month in which you learned of the Bürgergeld rejection.
Example: You receive a Bürgergeld rejection on March 10. Your Wohngeld application must be submitted no later than April 30. In this case, payment can be made retroactively from January (the month you submitted the Bürgergeld application).
If you miss this deadline, Wohngeld will only be paid from the month of the new application, and all months between the Bürgergeld rejection and the new Wohngeld application will be lost. With an average Wohngeld amount of around €370 per month, this can amount to over €1,000.
Other Cases of Retroactive Payment
Retroactive Wohngeld payment is also possible if your rent increases by more than 15% (under § 27 WoGG). In this case, Wohngeld can be recalculated retroactively within the current approval period.
What to Do in Case of Rejection
Important: The Wohngeld authority is required to notify you that your Wohngeld approval has become invalid due to your Bürgergeld application, and to explain the deadlines for submitting a new application. However, in practice, this notification often arrives late or not at all. Therefore, do not rely on receiving a notification—act on your own initiative immediately after receiving a Bürgergeld rejection.
Step-by-Step Guide to Applying for Wohngeld

Step 1: Check your eligibility and find the responsible authority
Check your entitlement: Use the official Wohngeld calculator from the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB) at www.bmwsb.bund.de – the calculator has been updated as of January 1, 2025. Alternatively, check the website of your federal state or city.
Find the responsible authority: Locate the Wohngeld office (Wohngeldbehörde) in your municipality or district. You can search for it at verwaltung.bund.de.

Step 2: Gather your documents
You will need the following documents:
  • Application form (Antrag) – available on the website of your local authority. Note that there is no unified national form; each municipality may have its own version
  • Rental contract (Mietvertrag) or proof of ownership (for homeowners)
  • Proof of income for the last 12 months – payslips, pension fund statements, etc.
  • Proof of income from other sources – such as ALG I, child benefit, maintenance payments, etc.
  • Registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung)
  • For families: birth certificates, proof of child benefit, maintenance payments, etc.
Step 3: Submit your application
You can submit your application:
  • Online – if available in your municipality
  • By post – send all documents to the Wohngeld office
  • In person – hand in your application at the Wohngeld office
Important: Submission is free of charge (no fees).

Step 4: Receive the decision
The processing time is usually 4–12 weeks. You will receive a written decision (Bescheid) by post.
If you do not hear back after 4–6 weeks, it is acceptable to make a polite inquiry. If no decision is made within 6 months, you can file a legal action for failure to act (Untätigkeitsklage).

Step 5: If your application is rejected or you received too little – file a Widerspruch (objection)
If you receive a rejection or the amount calculated is too low, you have one month from the date you receive the decision to file an objection (Widerspruch). The objection must be submitted in writing to the Wohngeld office.
If the decision does not contain instructions on how to appeal (Rechtsbehelfsbelehrung), the deadline is extended to one year.


Универсальный шаблон заполнения Antrag auf Wohngeld
If the government agency requests additional documents

When you have submitted your application and the Jobcenter has already partially reviewed it, they may request additional documents. A serious mistake is to simply forward the requested documents without a cover letter.
In such cases, the officials at the Jobcenter do not understand which case the documents belong to, cannot link them to a specific file number, consider the deadline not met, and issue a rejection stating „Unterlagen nicht fristgerecht eingereicht“

How to Submit Additional Documents Correctly
When submitting additional documents, you must include a cover letter (Begleitschreiben).
Cover letter pdf word.doc
This ensures that your documents are correctly assigned to your case and that the deadline is met.
If your payment was rejected or too low, file an appeal.

Deadline: 1 month from receipt of the notification (1 year if no instructions were provided). Use our appeal template.

30–40% of appeals are successful.
Universal filling template Antrag auf Wohngeld
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