Apply for continued housing benefit

• It is best to contact the responsible office in advance to find out which documents you need.
• You submit your application for continued benefits in writing using the form provided or with the help of the online service. You can send the form by post to the housing benefit office responsible for you or hand it in in person.
• The authority will check your application for continued benefits and send you a decision.
• In the event of continued approval, housing benefit is generally granted for a further twelve months and can be granted for up to 24 months if income remains comparatively constant.

As an applicant, you must still be entitled to housing benefit. You are entitled to housing benefit for a rent subsidy as:

• Tenants of residential property
• Subtenant and subtenant of living space
• Residents of a cooperative or foundation apartment
• Residents of a home (residents of a home within the meaning of the respective state law; this also includes people with disabilities who are admitted to special forms of accommodation not only temporarily for the provision of integration assistance)
• Tenant-like beneficiaries, in particular holders of a tenant-like permanent right of residence
• Owners of an apartment building (three or more apartments), a commercial building or a business, if you live in this building
• Owners of a detached or semi-detached house in which you live, but which also contains business premises to such an extent that it can no longer be regarded as a private home
• Owners of a full-time agricultural business whose residential part is not separated from the economic part
• Women who live in women's shelters, even if the remuneration is calculated on a daily basis
• a person who is assigned to homeless accommodation or third-party accommodation by the homelessness authority, even if the usage fee (which is not, for example, based on the number of days or graduated according to adults and children) is paid to the homelessness authority

You are eligible for a housing benefit subsidy as:

• Owners of their own home or condominium,
• Owners of a small housing estate,
• Owners of an agricultural sideline,
• Owners of a full-time agricultural property if the residential and commercial parts are separate and a housing benefit calculation can be made for the residential part,
• Holders of a permanent right of residence similar to ownership
• Leasehold owners and those who are entitled to the transfer of ownership of the building or apartment or to the transfer or granting of the leasehold.

The owner of the residential property must occupy the residential property and bear the costs.

It is best to contact the relevant office in advance to find out what documents you need. In principle, you must provide the following proof of housing costs or charges:

• on transfer benefits (e.g. assistance with living expenses, social benefits, basic income support in old age and in the event of reduced earning capacity, benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act)
• Certificate of earnings for the application for housing benefit,
• increased income-related expenses must be proven according to the tax assessment notice,
• current notifications of pension payments of any kind,
• on benefits under the Third Book of the German Social Code - Employment Promotion (e.g. unemployment benefit I, short-time working allowance, transitional allowance),
• Proof of sick pay and other wage replacement benefits,
• last tax assessment notice (for self-employed persons/traders).

To be on the safe side, please state all income of all household members in cash or cash equivalents, regardless of its source and regardless of whether the income is taxable or not. This will avoid unnecessary queries. The Housing Benefit Office will then check which of the income is creditable. If necessary, other evidence must be enclosed (only if there have been changes within the last approval period):

• Certificate of enrollment (students),
• BAföG notification (students),
• Declaration of monthly allowances from parents during your studies,
• Proof of health insurance,
• Proof of pension or life insurance,
• Appendix to the application for housing benefit for expenses to meet statutory maintenance obligations,
• Certificate of severe disability (if applicable, proof of care allowance payments).
• Foreign nationals from third countries must provide proof of their residence status and the duration of their stay.
• Other EU citizens must present a certificate of right of residence/EU residence permit and registration with the registration authorities.

To apply for a rent subsidy, you will also need this completed form (only if there have been changes within the last approval period):

• Landlord's certificate (usually provided by the housing benefit authorities)

You will also need the following forms/evidence to apply for a housing allowance (only if there have been changes within the last approval period):

• Form for determining the debt service charge
• Proof of the debt service charge (borrowed funds certificate, last proof of payment, interest and repayment schedule if applicable)
• Proof of the amount of the purchase price or construction costs (also for modernizations)
• Property tax assessment notice/proof of the amount of ground rent
• If applicable, proof of income from the transfer of rooms and space to third parties
• Calculation of living space according to DIN 277 or the Living Space Ordinance (WoFlV, building application)
• Notification of the building subsidy, if applicable
• Proof of ownership, extract from the land register, purchase contract

• § Section 26 of the First Book of the German Social Code (SGB I)
• § Section 1 Housing Benefit Act (WoGG)
• § Section 25 (1) sentence 2 Housing Benefit Act (WoGG)
• Housing Benefit Ordinance (WoGV)
• Housing benefit administrative regulation (WoGVwV)

• Contradiction

You will find further information on how to lodge an objection in the notification of your application for housing benefit.

The following information is available:

In order to avoid or uncover unlawful claims for housing benefit, the housing benefit authority may regularly check the details of all household members by comparing data - including in automated form - in particular with the pension insurance data office. For example, a comparison may be made,

• whether citizen's allowance (formerly unemployment benefit II) is paid while you are receiving housing benefit,
• whether there is employment subject to compulsory insurance or marginal employment
• or the amount of investment income for which an exemption order has been issued.

It is also possible to compare registration addresses, housing status and the time of re-registrations with the registration office. It is also possible to retrieve accounts from the Federal Central Tax Office. Suspected cases of fraud are always reported to the public prosecutor's office. These checks enable the housing benefit authority to investigate, for example,

• whether housing benefit is received more than once,
• whether transfer payments leading to exclusion from housing benefit are received at the same time,
• whether the information in the housing benefit application is correct
  • to income from gainful employment,
  • to income from one or more pensions,
  • were made to income from capital gains (interest or dividends),
• whether the payment of unemployment benefit was discontinued in the case of original unemployment (e.g. due to taking up new employment) and
• whether the original home for which housing benefit was paid is still actually being used.

The review is permitted up to ten years after notification of the associated housing benefit approval.

• Supplementary declaration on the application for housing benefit
• Notes on the application for the encumbrance allowance - application for continued benefits
• Notes on the application for rent subsidy - application for continued benefits
• Forms for housing benefit applications (paper applications)