Apply for housing benefit - rent subsidy

Prerequisites

Whether housing benefit can be claimed, and if so, how much, depends on three factors

• the number of family members in the household
• the amount of the family income
• the amount of eligible rent or charges.

Residents of care homes who are not only temporarily but permanently accommodated in the facility and do not receive any transfer benefits (e.g. basic income support) are generally entitled to housing benefit.

Approval period

The approval period begins on the 1st of the month in which the application is received by the housing benefit authority and the material requirements are met. We recommend that you seek advice from the relevant contact person.

Application

Housing benefit brochures, applications and leaflets are available free of charge at the Housing Benefit Office.

You can also download the forms from the forms service of the state of Thuringia.

Notes on housing benefit for students

As a rule, students are not entitled to housing benefit as they are usually entitled to BAföG. It is irrelevant whether BAföG benefits have been applied for or not and whether BAföG is paid or not, e.g. because your own income or that of your parents is too high.

Entitlement to housing benefit is only excluded if all members of a household are entitled to BAföG. If only one person living in the household is not entitled to BAB or BAföG on the merits, there is no exclusion from housing benefit.

Copies of the following documents are required to process the application.

Proof of income for all persons in the household, e.g.

• Pension certificate, pension certificate
• Notification of basic income support according to SGB XII from the social welfare office
• Certificate of earnings (e.g. wage, salary, part-time job, etc.)
• Proof of unemployment benefit I, unemployment benefit II, sickness benefit, maintenance and transitional allowance
• Proof of income from business and self-employment (e.g. income tax assessment notice, profit and loss account, private withdrawals, lists of totals and balances)
• Child benefit
• Type and amount of maintenance payments received (e.g. own child benefit) on unblackened account statements for the last 3 months
• Proof of expenses due to statutory maintenance obligations on unblackened bank statements for the last 3 months
• Proof of maternity benefit (proof from employer and health insurance company), parental benefit
• Proof of training remuneration (apprenticeship contract, wage or salary statement)
• Proof of educational support or rejection (BAföG, BAB)
• Study or school certificate
• Income from renting and leasing
• Proof of interest from savings
• Proof of vacation and Christmas bonuses
• Benefits in kind (income that is not in monetary form)
• Proof of health and pension insurance (proof of payment/account statement)
• Proof of daycare fees and proof of payment

Other documents

• Identity card or registration certificate from the citizens' registration office
• Bank account card
• Negative certificate (from the housing benefit office at your second or last place of residence)
• Certificate of severe disability (if applicable)
• Proof of need for care (if applicable)

For applications for rent subsidy additionally

• Tenancy or occupancy agreement (for first application and relocation)
• Current statement of operating costs
• Rent receipts on unblackened bank statements for the last 3 months
• Proof of cable connection (current account statement)
• Proof of subletting

In the case of applications for a burden subsidy additionally

• Land register extract / purchase contract (for first application)
• Property tax assessment notice
• Proof of the size of the living space
• Certificate of borrowing and the interest and repayment charges with the corresponding proof of payment

For nursing home residents additionally

• care home contract
• last 3 home bills
• Certificate of severe disability
• Proof of care level