Social affairs - Significantly more housing benefit applications registered in Thuringia
The number of housing benefit applications has risen significantly in Thuringia. By the beginning of December, around 67,700 such applications for a rent subsidy had been registered, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure. Of these, 49,400 were approved and 113 million euros were paid out. In addition, there is a dark figure of applications that were submitted in paper form and have not yet been registered electronically due to the workload. In 2022 as a whole, 56,000 housing benefit applications were submitted.
At the beginning of 2023, housing benefit was increased by an average of 190 euros to 370 euros per month as part of a reform. In addition, more households than before were given the opportunity to apply for the rent subsidy. Households that do not receive social benefits but still have little money can apply for the benefit.
The processing of applications is now taking significantly longer than a year ago. In some housing benefit offices, the processing time has doubled, according to the ministry. On average, it takes over a month for an application to be viewed for the first time and for any missing documents to be requested. It takes a further two and a half months on average for those affected to receive an approval notice. The duration varies depending on the volume of applications or the staffing situation at the respective authority.
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In Thuringia, the increase in housing benefit applications at the turn of the year led to a significant delay in processing, with some offices doubling their turnaround time. Despite this, the city of Erfurt saw an influx of residents seeking the social rent subsidy, reflecting the growing need for affordable housing in the region. The reform implemented at the beginning of 2023 expanded eligibility to include households that do not rely on social benefits, further increasing social housing demand in Thuringia.
Source: www.stern.de
