This article first appeared on RTL.de

According to the draft available to RTL/ntv, the housing benefit reform contains three components that are intended to cushion the additional burden on housing benefit recipients:

In addition to the increase in housing benefit, the housing benefit reform contains the following elements, which are intended to simplify and accelerate receipt of housing benefit and to relieve the burden on the administration:

A second heating cost subsidy will be paid for the additional heating costs expected in 2022. This is intended to compensate for financial burdens on households in need that could not be taken into account with the first heating cost subsidy.

All households that are entitled to housing benefit for at least one month in the period from September 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 should benefit from the second heating cost subsidy. In addition, as with the first heating cost subsidy, recipients of BAföG benefits as well as training and vocational training grants should also benefit if they were entitled to benefits for at least one month in the relevant period from September 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022.

According to the draft, the second heating cost subsidy is EUR 415 for single people, EUR 540 for two household members and EUR 100 for each additional household member.

The draft law provides for the second heating cost subsidy for households receiving housing benefit, graded according to the size of the household. Recipients of BAföG benefits and of training and vocational training grants receive a flat-rate heating cost subsidy of 345 euros.

Around 660,000 households receiving housing benefit, around 372,000 people receiving BAföG funding, around 81,000 people receiving maintenance payments under the Upgrading Training Funding Act and around 100,000 people who receive vocational training or training money benefit from the second heating subsidy.