Reduce housing benefit ex officio (without application)

• § Section 27 (1) of the Housing Benefit Act (WoGG)

In the case of an ex officio decision (without an application), the housing benefit office can request documents from you if these are required for the decision.

• Your total income must have increased by more than 15 percent or
• The number of members of your household to be taken into account has decreased by at least one person or
• Your rent or your housing costs (excluding heating costs) have decreased by more than 15 percent and
• The changes are not only temporary, i.e. they last longer than 4 months

The authority will check ex officio and send you a decision.

A new decision by your authority ex officio must be made within one year of your housing benefit authority becoming aware of the change in your circumstances.

You are obliged to inform the housing benefit authority immediately of any changes that could lead to a reduction in housing benefit. In order to prevent or detect unlawful claims for housing benefit, the housing benefit authority regularly checks the household members by comparing data - also in automated form - in particular with the pension insurance data office.

For example, a comparison is made

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

It is also possible to compare registration addresses, housing status and the time of re-registrations with the registration office.

It is also possible to call up accounts at the Federal Central Tax Office.

Suspected cases of fraud are always reported to the public prosecutor's office.

Through these checks, the housing benefit authority can determine, for example

• whether housing benefit is being received more than once,
• whether transfer payments leading to exclusion from housing benefit are being received at the same time,
• whether the information in the housing benefit application is correct
  • on income from gainful employment,
  • income from one or more pensions,
  • income from capital gains (interest or dividends),
• whether the payment of unemployment benefit was discontinued in the case of original unemployment (e.g. due to taking up new employment) and
• whether the original home for which housing benefit was paid is still actually being used.

The review is permitted up to ten years after notification of the associated housing benefit approval.

To your local housing benefit authority