Filling In the Wohngeld Application – Housing Benefit in Germany

Wohngeld — housing benefit — is among the most frequently missed entitlements in Germany, because of one widespread assumption: that people in work do not qualify. The opposite is true. Wohngeld was designed precisely for people who work and whose income does not stretch to cover their housing.

It does not come from the Jobcenter but from the housing office (Wohngeldstelle) of your municipality — a different body, a different law and a different application.

How Wohngeld differs from Jobcenter support

Anyone receiving Grundsicherungsgeld — formerly called Bürgergeld — already has their housing costs covered within it, so the two are not combined. For someone whose income comes from work or a pension and does not stretch far enough, Wohngeld is the right door. That is why many people are advised to check Wohngeld before turning to the Jobcenter.

What the video explains

• Where the application is submitted and which office is responsible
• The sections of the form, translated field by field
• The housing details: cold rent, service charges and heating
• The household members and the income of each of them
• The documents normally attached
• The mistakes that delay a decision

The official form and the responsible office

Before applying, try the official federal calculator run by the housing ministry — it gives a first estimate in minutes and saves you guessing. The form itself comes from your municipal housing office, because it differs between federal states:

• The official federal Wohngeld calculator (BMWSB)

Common mistakes that delay a case

• Entering the cold rent alone, without service charges and heating
• Leaving out the income of one adult in the household
• Applying to a municipality other than the one you live in
• Treating the calculator’s result as a decision
• Failing to report a change in rent or income after applying

Frequently asked questions

Can Wohngeld be combined with Grundsicherungsgeld (formerly Bürgergeld)?
As a rule no, because Grundsicherungsgeld already covers housing. The two are alternatives rather than complements, and each case is assessed on its own.

I am working — can I qualify?
Quite possibly. Wohngeld is aimed at people with an income that does not cover their housing. Try the official calculator above for an estimate.

Where do I get the form?
From the Wohngeldstelle of your municipality or its website. The form differs between federal states, so do not use another city’s version.

Is the calculator’s result binding?
No. The ministry itself states that the calculator is “initial guidance” only; the housing office’s decision is what binds.

Please note: Values and conditions change with the Wohngeld legislation. What binds is the decision of your municipal housing office.

Watch the video

The video is on the OK+ channel on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0hPI2KCgYA

Also on OK+

• The main Grundsicherungsgeld application
• The income annex – Anlage EK
• The Kinderzuschlag application

A tool that shortens the road

The OK Plus DE app gathers German administrative calculators and form templates in one place, free, ad-free, in seven languages. Android and iPhone, from the same page:
Get the OK Plus DE app