Your living allowance

Living allowance – the subsidy for affordable housing

Living allowance is a state social benefit that helps low-income households to meet their housing costs. It is granted as a rent subsidy for tenants or as an encumbrance allowance for owners. The support is based on income, household size and housing costs. The aim of the living allowance is to enable socially disadvantaged households to live in an appropriate and dignified manner.

Who receives living allowance?
Living allowance is intended for households that need support with housing costs but also receive enough income to not be entitled to citizens allowance, for example. Students and trainees who do not receive BAföG or training allowance (or only in the form of a loan) also receive a living allowance. Eligible are:

• Tenants of a flat or a room
• Owners of owner-occupied housing (encumbrance allowance)

What do I get?
The amount of living allowance depends on three factors:

• Income: The lower the household income, the higher the possible support.
• Household size: The more people living in the household, the higher the entitlement can be.
• Housing costs: The actual rent or monthly charge for owners is taken into account, but only up to certain maximum limits.

The living allowance is usually granted for 12 months and must then be reapplied for. The rent level, which is an indicator of the rent level in the region, is also taken into account.

How does it relate to other benefits?
Living allowance and citizens allowance are generally mutually exclusive. Students who receive BAföG are generally not entitled to living allowance - unless their BAföG consists exclusively of a loan.

However, supplementary child allowance is possible without any problems and is often taken in living allowance households with children.

Tips

• Apply in good time: Approval can take up to 7 months. However, the living allowance is then paid retroactively from the day of application.
• For trainees: If you do not receive BAföG or BAB, it may be worth applying for a living allowance.
• Citizens allowance or living allowance: Some households are eligible for both. While citizens allowance is often the more "lucrative" benefit, it does come with some obligations and restrictions, such as job centre appointments and the possibility of sanctions.