apply for housing benefit

Requirements

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 the eligible rent or charges.

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

Approval period

The approval period begins on the first day 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 Wohngeldstelle and at the Bürgerservice.

You can also download the forms from the Forms Service of the State of Thuringia.

Information on housing allowance for students

Students are usually not entitled to housing allowance, as they are usually entitled to BAföG on the merits. It is irrelevant whether BAföG benefits have been applied for or not and whether BAföG is paid or not, e.g. because of too high own income or that of the parents.

The housing benefit claim is only excluded if all members of a household are entitled to BAföG. If only one member is not entitled to BAB or BAföG and does not receive any other transfer benefits such as ALG II or transitional allowance, there is again a claim to housing benefit.

Copies of the following documents are required for application processing.

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

• Pension statement, pension statement
• Notification of basic income support according to SGB XII from the social welfare office
• Proof of earnings (e.g. wage, salary, part-time job, etc.)
• Proof of unemployment benefit I, unemployment benefit II, sickness benefit, maintenance benefit and transitional allowance
• Proof of income from business and self-employment (e.g. income tax assessment, 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 unredacted bank statements of the last 3 months
• Proof of expenses due to legal maintenance obligations on unredacted bank statements of the last 3 months
• Proof of maternity allowance (proof from employer and health insurance company), parental allowance
• Proof of training allowance (apprenticeship contract, wage or salary statement)
• Proof of educational support or rejection (BAföG, BAB)
• Certificate of study or school attendance
• Income from renting and leasing
• Proof of interest from savings
• Proof of holiday and Christmas bonuses
• Non-cash benefits (are revenues that do not exist in monetary form)
• Proof of health and pension insurance (proof of payment/account statement)
• Proof of child day care fees and proof of payment

Other

• Identity card or certificate of registration from the citizens' registration office
• Bank account card
• Negative certificate (from housing subsidy office at secondary residence or last place of residence)
• Disability certificate (if applicable)
• Proof of need for care (if applicable)

For applications for rent subsidy additionally

• Rental or usage contract (for initial application and relocation)
• Current statement of operating costs
• Rent receipts on unredacted bank statements of the last 3 months
• Proof of cable connection (current account statement)
• Proof of subletting

For applications for rent subsidies additionally

• Excerpt from the land register / purchase contract (for initial application)
• Property tax assessment notice
• Proof of the size of the living space
• Certificate on the taking out of loans and the burden of interest and redemption with the corresponding proofs of payment

For residents in a home additionally

• Home contract
• Last 3 home bills
• Disability certificate
• Proof of care level