Here we have compiled some answers to frequently asked questions.

Income includes tax-free and taxable income, one-off and regular income. Gross income includes, for example

• earned income
• Salaries, wages, Christmas bonuses, etc.
• tax-free bonuses for Sunday, night and public holiday work
• Flat-rate taxed or tax-free wages
• wage replacement benefits
• Unemployment benefit, maintenance allowance
• short-time working allowance, bad weather allowance
• Sickness benefit, maternity benefit
• Other income
• Pensions, retirement benefits, pension payments
• Maintenance payments
• Income from capital assets

If in doubt, it is better to declare all income - it is unpleasant for you and us if housing benefit payments are claimed back later.

The Housing Benefit Act only offers limited possibilities for this, mostly in the form of flat-rate allowances. However, you can submit to us, for example

• Childcare costs
• Income-related expenses over EUR 1,000 if you are not self-employed,
• Private health or pension provision (note: this does not always affect housing benefit!),
• Maintenance payments that you make,
• Severely disabled person's pass for a degree of disability of 100 percent.

If your degree of disability is between 50 and 100 percent, you must also provide proof of a need for care at home.

The rent also includes

• Costs of water consumption
• Costs of sewage and waste disposal
• Costs of staircase lighting

These costs can also be added to the rent if they are not paid to the landlord but directly to a third party, for example the local authority, on the basis of the tenancy agreement or a similar usage agreement.

Rent does not include

• Costs of operating central heating and hot water supply systems, central fuel supply systems and the comparable costs for the commercial supply of heat, in particular in the form of so-called district heating,
• subletting allowances paid by the tenant to the landlord,
• allowances for the provision of furniture, refrigerators and washing machines,
• surcharges for the use of living space for purposes other than housing,
• the pro rata rent for living space that is provided exclusively to another person for use against payment (e.g. in the case of subletting) or that is provided for use free of charge in the event that there is no residential and economic community. If the payment for the transfer of use exceeds the proportionate rent attributable to the living space, it is deducted in full from the rent. In the same way, contributions from third parties to the payment of the rent must also be deducted.

Notification obligations of the recipient of housing benefit: The applicant is obliged to inform the competent housing benefit office immediately if

• the living space for which housing benefit is paid is no longer used by a family member who is part of the household, for example due to a change of residence, before the end of the approval period
• the rent or charges are reduced by more than 15 percent
• the family income increases by more than 15 percent
• transfer payments are applied for or received
• the number of family members included in the household is reduced

Please note the information on the grant notice. The housing benefit can be increased on application if

• the number of family members in the household has increased,
• the eligible housing costs have increased by more than 15 percent,
• the family income has decreased by more than 15 percent.

Family members under housing benefit law include

• Head of household, spouse, parents, children (including adopted children and stepchildren),
• siblings, uncles, aunts, parents-in-law, children-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law,
• other relatives listed in the Housing Benefit Act.

Family members can only be taken into account when granting housing benefit if they live in a joint household with the head of the household, i.e. if they live in a residential and economic community.

If a family member has died and the home is retained, the old household size will continue to be taken as a basis for the maximum amounts for rent and charges for a period of twelve months after the month of death.