Living allowance income limit 2025: How much can I earn to be eligible?
Anyone looking for financial support with housing costs will sooner or later come across the living allowance. However, not everyone is entitled to this state benefit - the decisive factor is whether your income is below certain limits. In this article, we show you which income limits apply in 2025, how income is calculated for living allowance and which allowances you can deduct.
Living allowance is only available for low incomes - the income limit depends on household size and rent level.
In 2025, new income limits will apply, which vary from region to region.
The calculation is based on the expected annual income, divided over 12 months.
Allowances and lump sums can reduce your income - this increases your chances.
A minimum income is mandatory so that the living allowance is not used to finance your entire life.
Not all income counts as income, e.g. care allowance or certain social benefits.
An application is worthwhile even if you have a low salary - it is best to check with LeistungsLotse living allowance calculator.
Find out quickly and easily if you are eligible for living allowance and how much you could receive.
This is an estimate. The actual amount might differ.
Based on your information, you are likely entitled to living allowance!
Based on your information, you are probably not entitled to living allowance.
With us, you can submit your application conveniently.
Start application!Living allowance is not a general subsidy, but a means-tested social benefit. Only those whose income is below a certain limit can apply for living allowance. This limit depends on:
the number of household members
the so-called rent level of your city or municipality
The more people living in the household or the more expensive the region, the higher your income can be without losing your entitlement.
The calculation of living allowance is based on several decisive factors that have a significant influence on the amount of the allowance. The main components include the size of the household, the eligible rent or charge and the total income of the household members. The size of the household determines how many people are taken into account in the calculation, which in turn influences the maximum amounts allowed for rent or charges. These maximum amounts vary depending on the regional rent level, which reflects the general rent level in a particular region. The allowable rent comprises the gross basic rent, excluding heating and hot water costs, and can be supplemented by surcharges such as the climate component or the heating cost component to compensate for energy-related renovations or increased energy costs. The total income is calculated from the taxable and certain tax-free income of all household members, taking into account various deductions and allowances, such as income-related expenses or social security contributions. This complex calculation method ensures that living allowance specifically supports those households that need to finance adequate housing despite having a low income.
Yes - to prevent abuse, a certain minimum income is required. This is because living allowance is only intended as a rent subsidy, not to cover your entire living costs.
Rule of thumb for the minimum income:
Standard rate (e.g. citizens' allowance: €563 for single people) + actual warm rent + any additional requirements (e.g. for pregnancy, single parenthood, illness)
Good to know: When applying for living allowance, it is usually sufficient if you cover at least 80% of the necessary needs yourself.
The Living Allowance Act provides numerous options for reducing the income to be offset. These include:
Flat-rate deductions from income
10% for income tax liability
10-30% for compulsory contributions to health, long-term care or pension insurance
Up to 30% also for voluntary insurance contributions if they are equivalent to compulsory contributions
Flat-rate income-related expenses
If no exact proof is possible, a flat rate applies:
1,230 € per year for income from employment
102 € for pensions
51 € for investment income
Separate allowances
1,800 € per year for severely disabled persons (GdB 100)
1,320 € for single parents with child(ren) under the age of 18
Up to €1,200 for working children under 25 in the household
750 € for victims of Nazi persecution in accordance with the Federal Compensation Act
additionally: statutory maintenance obligations
The income limits vary depending on the rent level of your place of residence. There are seven rent levels (I to VII), with level I for regions with low rents and level VII for very expensive cities.
Example:
For a 2-person household, the monthly income limits in 2025 are between around €1,300 and €1,900, depending on the rent level.
Do you still need to apply for living allowance? With our housing allowance calculator from LeistungsLotse, you can quickly and easily check whether and how much living allowance you are entitled to. Check now!
Not every payment counts as income within the meaning of the Living Allowance Act. For example, the following are not taken into account:
Care allowance
BAföG benefits under certain conditions
certain one-off payments
Child benefit (although it is declared, it is subject to a special regulation)
Living allowance is generally granted for a period of twelve months, starting from the month in which the application is submitted. After this period has expired, a new application must be submitted in order to continue receiving support. However, the entitlement to living allowance can end or be adjusted under certain conditions. For example, the entitlement ceases if the household's income situation improves significantly or the number of household members changes. The entitlement to living allowance can also expire if you move house, which is why a new application is required for the new home. In exceptional cases, the approval period can be extended if no significant changes in the income situation are to be expected. It is important to notify the competent authority immediately of any changes that could affect the entitlement to living allowance in order to ensure that the benefits are adjusted correctly.
Applying for living allowance is a crucial step in receiving financial support for housing costs. In order to submit the application successfully, certain documents must be submitted completely and correctly. The required documents generally include a fully completed and signed living allowance application, proof of income for all persons living in the household, the current rental agreement and receipts for rent payments for the last three months. In the case of an application for living allowance in the form of charge support, the purchase contract, an extract from the land register and financing documents are also required. In some cases, further evidence may be required, depending on the individual circumstances of the applicant. It is important to compile all documents carefully and submit them to the relevant living allowance authority by the deadline in order to avoid delays in the application process.
Changes in living conditions can have a considerable impact on living allowance entitlement. In particular, changes in household size or income play a key role. For example, the birth of a child or the arrival of an additional family member can increase the entitlement to living allowance, as more people are included in the household. Conversely, the departure of a household member or a death can lead to a recalculation that reduces the entitlement. Changes in income are also decisive: a salary increase or loss of income can affect the living allowance entitlement. In many cases, living allowance can be adjusted during the current approval period if income increases or decreases by more than 15 percent. It is therefore important to notify the living allowance authority immediately of any relevant changes to ensure that benefits are adjusted correctly. This not only prevents unforeseen reclaims, but also ensures that the allowance remains appropriate to current living circumstances.
Living allowances can be granted to certain groups of people such as pensioners, pupils, students and trainees under specific conditions. Pensioners often benefit from additional allowances, such as the basic pension allowance, which reduces the allowable income and thus increases the chances of receiving a living allowance. For pupils, students and trainees, it is crucial that they are not entitled to BAföG or Berufsausbildungsbeihilfe (BAB) in order to receive living allowance. In cases where they are not entitled to these benefits or have not applied for them, they may be entitled to living allowance. For example, if the maximum funding period has been exceeded or the required proof of benefits has not been provided. It is important that the main residence is considered the center of the living relationship. These regulations ensure that living allowances are targeted to those who really need them and avoid overlaps with other state subsidies.
The connection between living allowance and other social benefits such as child benefit, child supplement or benefits from the education package is very important for many households. In principle, child benefit is not offset against living allowance, so families who receive child benefit do not lose their entitlement to living allowance. The same applies to the child supplement, which provides additional support for low-income families. These benefits are not considered income within the meaning of the Living Allowance Act and therefore do not affect the calculation of the living allowance. In addition, children who are taken into account for living allowance and for whom child benefit is received are entitled to benefits for education and participation in accordance with the Federal Child Benefit Act. These benefits, which are provided in the form of benefits in kind or services, aim to enable children from low-income households to participate equally in educational and leisure activities. These regulations ensure that recipients of housing benefit can also benefit from other social benefits without jeopardizing their entitlement to living allowance.
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| Simple, comprehensible process | |||
| Eligibility assessment with calculator & guide | |||
| Digital transfer to responsible authority | |||
| No double data entry | |||
| Secure digital process with high data protection standards | |||
| All benefits in one portal |
With us, you can submit your application conveniently.
Start application!The income limits for living allowances are clearly regulated in 2025, but are anything but flat-rate. They depend on many factors - such as the size of the household, the regional rent level and the type of income you have. If you take into account allowances and flat rates, you can significantly reduce your qualifying income and improve your chances of receiving living allowance. It is also important to note that you must have a minimum amount of income of your own, otherwise the living allowance will not apply.
Do you still need to apply for living allowance? With our housing allowance calculator from LeistungsLotse, you can quickly and easily check whether and how much living allowance you are entitled to. Check now!
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