Housing benefit ("Wohngeld")

Housing benefit ("Wohngeld")

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Information on Housing Benefit (“Wohngeld”)

Housing benefit is help from the government for people with limited financial means. The Housing Benefit Authority ("Wohngeldbehörde") helps to cover the housing costs. The Housing Benefit Authority does not pay all the housing costs.

COMPETENT AUTHORITY

Adickesallee 67-69
60322 Frankfurt am Main
Phone
Servicetelefon Wohngeld
E-Mail
Internet

All topics at a glance

Service description

What do I get housing benefit for?

You get housing benefit, for example, for your

  • rented flat,
  • room in a shared flat (WG),
  • sublet room,
  • condominium,
  • or for your house.

You can also get housing benefit if you live in a retirement or a nursing home.

When do I not receive housing benefit?

You will not receive housing benefit if another authority is already paying money for housing. This can be the Job Centre (“Jobcenter”) or the Social Welfare Office (“Sozialamt”), for example.

You also do not get housing benefit if you live alone and are doing an apprenticeship or are studying and receive benefits under the Federal Training Assistance Act (“Bundesausbildungsförderungs-Gesetz”, BAföG) or vocational training allowance (“Berufs-Ausbildungs-Beihilfe”, BAB).

How is my housing benefit calculated?

The office checks and calculates the possible amount you would potentially receive. For example, it checks:

  • How many people live in the flat or house.
  • How much money the people who live there have.
  • How high the housing costs are. For example, what you pay in rent.

Required documents

If you would like to receive housing benefits, you must submit an application to the Housing Benefit Authority (“Wohngeldbehörde”). It is important that you answer all the questions in the application and also sign the application. You will also need to submit a number of supporting documents with your application. You will receive a list of these documents with your application.

Where can I find the application?

  • You can find the application in the section "Applications and forms". Please print out the application yourself.
  • We will send you the application by post.
  • You can pick up the application at the Housing Office.

The supporting documents for the application can be submitted as copies. It is not a problem if you do not immediately submit all the necessary documents with your application. The Housing Benefit Authority will then write you a letter stating which documents are still missing. You must then submit all the supporting documents by the given deadline. If you need more time, please let us know well in advance. Otherwise, we may refuse the subsidy you applied for (housing benefit) because you did not cooperate  (This is also called lack of cooperation (“fehlende Mitwirkung”)).

Where can I hand in my application?

You can

  • send it by post or
  • hand it in at the Housing Office at the reception desk or
  • put it in the letterbox.

What else should I know

Counselling is provided in German. If you feel like your German is not good enough, please remember to have an interpreter by your side who can assist you during counselling.