Step 1 – Am I potentially entitled to housing benefit?
To be elegible for housing benefit, the following conditions must be met:
- To receive housing benefit, other living costs and part of the rent or encumbrances must be covered by your own income (minimum income). The basic principle is that housing costs should not be more than a certain proportion of income.
Note: If you are unable to cover your living costs without help, please contact the Jobcenter team.arbeit.hamburg or the district offices for welfare and social services (Fachämter für Grundsicherung und Soziales). - You must not receive any social benefits that already take your living costs into account – e.g. citizen’s allowance (Bügergeld), basic income support (Grundsicherung) or assistance with living expenses (Hilfe zum Lebensunterhalt). In some circumstances you might be able to switch from receiving social benefits to housing benefit.
- The total income of all members of the household must not exceed a certain amount. If you use one of the following housing benefit calculators, you will be able to see whether you are likely to be entitled to housing benefit.
- The federal housing benefit calculator gives a first indication of whether you might be entitled. Note: The whole of Hamburg is classified at rent level VI (Mietenstufe VI)
- The Hamburg housing benefit calculator, provided by NRW, is much more detailed. You will have to provide much more information, but the result will also be much more accurate. That means you will be able to estimate fairly accurately whether you will be entitled.
Note: If you make maintenance payments or have a very variable income (for example if you’re self-employed), please use the Hamburg housing benefit calculator. The federal housing benefit calculator does not take these factors into account.
Step 2 – Complete the application
Important: Applications for housing benefit must be received by the benefit office in the month in which benefit is to be claimed for the first time. No housing benefit can be granted for periods that are in the past.
Example: If you want to claim housing benefit from January 2024, your application must be submitted in January. If the application is not submitted until February, benefit can only be paid from February onwards.
There are various ways of applying for housing benefit. We recommend the online housing benefit application.
Alternatively, you can download the application documents as a PDF or collect an application form from your nearest district authority offices (Bezirksamt). Then you should fill in the PDF form on a computer or the printed form by hand. Don’t forget that you need to sign the application form.
If you have any questions when filling in the application,
- refer to the notes in the application.
- refer to the FAQ on this website.
If you can’t find an answer to your questions there, you can telephone the Housing Benefit Hotline.
Step 3 – Get your supporting documents together
In addition to the application, you will have to provide documentary evidence for some of the information you provide. The application form will tell you when you need to provide supporting documents. You can also refer to the following checklist:
Please do not send any original documents as evidence. The best thing is to scan all your documents and format them as PDFs. Please note that the combined total size of all your documents must not exceed 10 MB.
Step 4 – Submit your application with supporting documents
All applications relating to housing benefit will be processed in your district authority offices (Bezirksamt). It’s enough to submit your application in writing – you don’t need to submit it in person
- If you use the online application, it will be sent automatically.
- If you’ve filled in the PDF application on a computer, you can send this, together with all the supporting documents, to the email address Wohngeld-Zentrale-Poststelle@hamburg-mitte.hamburg.de. Don’t forget to sign the application form.
- If you’re using a printed form and documents, send everything by post to
Wohngeld Zentrale Poststelle
Billstraße 80
20539 Hamburg
Note: It’s not possible to visit this address in person. If you want to deliver your application in person, you can do this at your district housing benefit office.
Please only use one route for making your application (online, email or by post). Applying simultaneously via different channels will make the processing time longer overall.
I’ve submitted an application. What happens now?
Due to the large number of housing benefit applications, processing your application could take some time. Please be patient. You can find more information on the processing time here.
Note: Housing benefit recipients with children can claim benefits for education and participation (BuT). You can find more information here. You will receive notification of the application for BuT benefits together with your housing benefit notice.
