Housing Benefit Calculator

Housing benefit has a reputation for being only for people who have nothing at all. That is a misunderstanding that costs many people real money. Housing benefit is a subsidy towards rent for households with small to medium incomes who still cover their own housing costs, meaning specifically those not on Bürgergeld. The 2023 Wohngeld-Plus reform raised the amounts sharply and widened the circle of eligible households considerably. The calculator shows you in minutes whether an application is worth it.

The calculation depends on three quantities: household size, total income and rent, each capped by your city rent level. The rent level ranges from I in cheap regions to VII in Munich and reflects how expensive housing is locally. You can simply type your city into the search field, the calculator knows the rent levels of the larger cities, or you select the level manually. The maximum rent table under Section 12 WoGG then applies, defining up to what rent a subsidy is granted at all.

The big difference from the old housing benefit is two components added since 2023. The heating component provides flat relief for higher energy costs, the climate component accounts for the higher rent level of energy-renovated flats. Both increase with household size and are added onto the maximum rent. The calculator includes them automatically and shows them separately in the breakdown.

With income, getting the right figure matters. The calculator uses the flat deduction under Section 16 WoGG: depending on whether you are an employee subject to social insurance, a civil servant, a pensioner or not employed, ten to thirty percent is deducted from gross income before the maths. That is not a side detail, it shifts the result significantly. On top come deductions under Sections 13 and 14 WoGG, for example for single parents, severely disabled people, household members requiring care or maintenance payments - exactly the items that those affected often overlook and that can create the entitlement in the first place.

You can choose between a quick check and a full calculation. The quick check only needs household size, income and rent level and tells you roughly whether you are in the eligible range. The full calculation uses the official housing benefit formula under Section 19 WoGG with your actual rent, the components and all deductions, and delivers a concrete monthly and yearly amount along with the rent burden ratio, the share of your rent in your income.

Twelve ready-made scenarios get you there quickly: single in Berlin or Munich, couple in Hamburg, family with children in Cologne, single parent in Frankfurt or Leipzig, retired couple, severely disabled, large family in Stuttgart, shared-flat resident or homeowner in a rural area. Because housing benefit exists not only for tenants but also as a burden subsidy for owner-occupied property. Load a scenario, adjust the numbers and you immediately get a feel for your case.

The calculator delivers an estimate, not a decision. The actual approval is made by your housing benefit office after reviewing all documents. But precisely as an estimate it is valuable: it takes away the fear of applying when it is worth it, and saves you the paperwork when you are clearly over the limits. Everything runs in the browser, your numbers stay on your device, no signup needed.