Housing benefit change notification

Prerequisites

In order to change your housing benefit entitlement, certain conditions must be met, for example:

• Your total income increases or decreases by more than 15%.
• The number of people in your household has changed.
• Your rent or housing costs for owner-occupied housing decrease or increase by more than 15%.

These changes may, but do not necessarily, lead to a change in your entitlement to housing benefit.

Your entitlement to housing benefit may be reduced if your situation changes for more than four months during the benefit period as follows:

• Their total income increases by more than 15 percent,
• Your rent or the costs of your home (excluding heating costs) will fall by more than 15 percent,
• The number of household members is decreasing.

Documents required

• Evidence of changes in rent or encumbrance
• Evidence of changed income
• Evidence of changes to the household members to be taken into account.
• Further documents may be required, such as
  • Proof of additional income
  • Proof of ownership
  • Self-disclosure of a self-employed person
  • Income forecast for self-employed persons
  • Proof of severe disability
  • If necessary, you can obtain further information from the responsible authority about any further documents required.

Please note

Deadlines

Immediately inform the responsible housing benefit office of any changes in your circumstances that are relevant to your benefit.


An increase in housing benefit takes effect from the time of application. A retroactive increase is generally not possible.

Procedure

• You inform the responsible authority about the changes in person, in writing or by telephone.
• The responsible authority will inform you which documents it requires from you.
• You submit a request for change and include the required documents.
• The responsible authority will check your information and documents.
• The responsible authority will recalculate your housing benefit.
• You will receive a notification.

Processing time

The responsible office will process your notification of change as quickly as possible. The processing time depends on the completeness of your information and whether all necessary documentation is available.


If processing takes longer, you won't be disadvantaged: Your housing benefit entitlement will be reviewed from the day you submitted your application. You won't lose any housing benefit if your entitlement continues.

Fees

No

Legal remedies

contradiction

Legal basis

Section 27 (3) of the Housing Allowance Act (WOGG) Changes to the housing allowance

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/wogg/__27.html