You must notify the housing allowance authority immediately if

• your total income has increased by more than 15 percent,
• your rent or mortgage payments (excluding heating costs) have decreased by more than 15 percent, or
• the number of members in your household has decreased.

If your total income decreases because there are fewer members in your household to be taken into account, this may also be a reason for a change in housing benefit.

Please note the following:

If your financial situation or living circumstances have improved or changed, this may also lead to a reduction in your housing benefit. You are obliged to notify the housing benefit authority immediately of any changes that may lead to a reduction in your housing benefit. In order to prevent or detect unlawful claims for housing benefit, the housing benefit authority regularly checks household members by comparing data.

In order to prevent or detect unlawful claims for housing benefit, the housing benefit authority may regularly check household members by comparing data—including in automated form—in particular with the pension insurance data center.

For example, it may be checked

• whether citizen's income (formerly unemployment benefit II) is paid while housing benefit is being received,
• whether there is employment subject to social insurance contributions or marginal employment,
• or the amount of investment income for which an exemption order has been issued.

It is also possible to compare data with the registration authority regarding registered addresses, housing status, and the date of re-registrations. In addition, it is possible to request account information from the Federal Central Tax Office. Suspected cases of fraud are always reported to the public prosecutor's office.

These checks enable the housing benefit authority to determine, for example,

• whether housing benefits are being claimed multiple times,
• whether transfer payments leading to exclusion from housing benefit are being received at the same time,
• whether the information provided in the housing benefit application
  • regarding income from gainful employment,
  • income from one or more pensions,
  • income from capital gains (interest or dividends),
• whether, in the case of original unemployment, the payment of unemployment benefits has been discontinued (for example, due to the commencement of new employment), and
• whether the original apartment for which housing benefit was paid is still actually being used.

The review is permissible until the expiry of ten years after notification of the relevant housing allowance approval.

Your notification will be reviewed immediately. The processing time depends, among other things, on the completeness of your information and the submission of the evidence required for processing the application.

You will not be charged for longer processing times.

Please submit the following documents:

• Proof of change in rent or expenses
• Proof of change in income
• Proof of change in the number of household members to be taken into account