Apply for an increase in housing benefit
Service description
Your entitlement to housing benefit could increase if
- your total income has decreased by more than 10 per cent,
- your rent or home ownership costs (excluding heating costs) have increased by more than 10 per cent or
- the number of household members has increased.
If your total income has decreased because there are fewer members in your household to take into account, this may also be a reason for an increase in housing benefit.
Procedure
- You send your application in writing or online to the housing benefit office responsible for you.
- The authority will check your application and send you a decision.
- If approved, housing benefit is generally granted for twelve months.
Prerequisites
- Your total income has decreased by more than 10 per cent or
- the number of members of your household has increased or
- Your rent or your housing costs (excluding heating costs) have increased by more than 10 per cent
and - this results in a higher housing benefit entitlement when calculating housing benefit
For details, please contact your local housing benefit office.
Which documents are required?
Please submit the following documents:
- Evidence of the change in rent or charge and/or
- Proof of the changed income and/or
- Proof of the change in the household members to be taken into account
What fees are charged?
free of charge
What deadlines do I have to observe?
As a rule, if your housing benefit is increased, you will receive the higher housing benefit from the first of the month in which your application is received by the housing benefit office.
In the event of a retroactive rent increase or an increase in the burden of home ownership, there may also be a retroactive increase in housing benefit, but only up to the date from which you were granted housing benefit.
Processing time
The processing time depends, among other things, on the completeness of your information and the submission of the evidence required for processing the application. Any longer processing times are not at your expense: housing benefit can also be granted and paid retroactively for periods from the date of receipt of the application.
Legal basis
Legal remedy
- Contradiction
You will find further information on how to lodge an objection in the notification of your application for housing benefit.
Professionally approved by
Ministry of the Interior, Building and Sport
Applications / Forms