Germany to Slash Housing Benefit with New €15 Minimum Threshold
The German government is preparing a reform of the Wohngeld (housing benefit) that would eliminate the entitlement for households whose calculated benefit falls below €15 per month. The change is set to be introduced through an amendment to § 21 of the Wohngeldgesetz.
According to a spokesperson of the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB), the federal share of Wohngeld spending in 2025 was €2.49 billion, part of an overall budget of roughly €5 billion. By halving the budget, the federal and state governments each expect to save about €1 billion annually.
Bundesbauministerin Verena Hubertz (SPD) said that around one‑third of current Wohngeld households – roughly 400 000 of the 1.25 million recipients – would lose the benefit, many of them retirees. The German Tenants Association (Deutscher Mieterbund) criticized the proposal, noting that 93 % of Wohngeld recipients are tenant households.
Entities: Bundesministerium für Wohnen, Stadtentwicklung und Bauwesen · Deutscher Mieterbund · Federal Republic of Germany · Verena Hubertz
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The reform aims to save roughly €1 billion per year for the federal government and the same amount for the states. (Government budget plan)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The German Tenants Association (Deutscher Mieterbund) criticized the reform, noting that 93 % of Wohngeld recipients are tenant households. (German Tenants Association statement)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The German government will introduce a €15 monthly minimum threshold for Wohngeld, cancelling benefits that fall below this amount. (German housing benefit reform proposal)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The amendment to introduce the €15 threshold will be made via a change to § 21 of the Wohngeldgesetz. (Proposed legislation text)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Total Wohngeld spending in 2025 was about €5 billion, with the federal share at €2.49 billion. (Spokesperson of the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Approximately one third of current Wohngeld households – about 400 000 of the 1.25 million recipients – would lose entitlement under the new rule. (Bundesbauministerin Verena Hubertz (SPD))