Housing money in plain language

Living is expensive.

Rent, electricity, water and heating cost a lot of money.

This is difficult for people with low incomes.

For these people, there is housing benefit from the state.

• Who can get housing benefit?
• How much housing allowance can you get?
• What is the housing allowance calculator?
• What do you need for the application?
• How do you apply for housing benefit?
• Who can submit the application?
• How long will you receive housing benefit?
• What do you have to do if something changes?
• Where can you get help and advice?

For example,

• If you rent an apartment or house,
• if you only have a low income,
• and if you do not receive any other social benefits.

You will not receive housing benefit
if you already receive other money for your rent.

This is the case, for example:

• If you receive citizen's allowance.
• If you receive basic income support.
• If you receive BAföG.
• Or if you receive money from the state
  for vocational training.

Not all families receive the same amount of housing benefit.

If you have to pay less rent,
you will also receive less housing benefit.

If you have to pay a lot of rent,
you will receive more housing benefit.

The Housing Benefit Office must first calculate:
How much housing benefit you will receive.

To do this, you must say:

• How many people live in your apartment?
• How much rent do you have to pay?
• How much money do you and your flatmates earn together?

Important:

People with disabilities receive a free amount of housing allowance.

This means: You receive more housing allowance.

You receive the free amount:

• If you have a degree of disability of 100.
• Or if you have a degree of disability of 50 and more.
• And if you are in need of care.

The Housing Money Calculator is a program on the Internet.

The program is free of charge.

The calculator shows you:

• Whether you can get housing benefit.
• And approximately: How much housing benefit you can get.

But the result is only an estimate.

The office will decide whether you actually receive housing benefit.

You can find the housing benefit calculator here:

www.wohngeldrechner.nrw.de

Or you can search the internet for

"Housing benefit calculator + name of your city"

For Wohn-Geld you have to fill out an application.

The application is available at the Wohn-Geld offices or on the Internet.

The application is in difficult language.

You can get help filling it out at the Wohn-Geld offices.

You will need various things for the application.

For example:

• Your rental contract
• Your proof of salary
• Or your notification from the Job Center
• Your ID card

The office will tell you exactly which documents you need.

.

You usually receive housing benefit for 12 months.

After that, you can submit a new application.

You must report these changes to the Wohn-Geld-Stelle:

• If one person moves out of the apartment.
• Or if more people live in the apartment.

For example, if you have a baby.

• Or if you earn more money.
• Or if you earn less money.
• Or if you have to pay more rent.
• Or if you have to pay less rent.
• Or if you move house.

The Housing Benefit Office will then check:

Does the housing benefit need to be recalculated?

Do you have questions about Wohn-Geld?

The Wohn-Geld-Stelle will help you with your questions.

Don't know which Wohn-Geld office is responsible?

Then search the Internet for:

"Wohn-Geld + name of your city".

Or call the authority number.

The telephone number is 115.

You can get information there.

The Federal Ministry of Construction has made an explanatory film about the housing allowance.

You can watch the explanatory film on YouTube.

Click here to go to the YouTube website.