On 11 November 2026, Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk reported on families in Halle, who have been waiting for housing benefit for months and are facing acute financial difficulties. Those affected describe waiting times of four to six months, sometimes longer. They say they had to cut spending and skip meals until the back payments arrived.
The delays are not confined to Halle. Municipal housing benefit offices in several cities have reported substantially longer processing times since 2023. Administrations cite staff shortages, complex income and rent checks, and incomplete digitalisation as reasons. Responsibility for processing applications lies with local authorities under the law. The Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building sets the legal framework, but has no direct control over the operations of housing benefit offices.
The rise in case numbers followed the 2023 housing benefit reform, which expanded the group of people eligible for support. Several cities report two to three times as many applications. Statistics from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) show that housing benefit offices have faced a growing workload in the years since the reform. Reports from local authorities are consistent with the findings of the MDRinvestigation into longer processing times.
Some local authorities have reported measures they are taking: in Berlin and Bonn additional posts were created and procedures adjusted; Bremen reports a backlog of applications and says it plans further improvements to its processes. The authorities say particularly urgent cases, such as those involving the risk of a report of rent arrears, are prioritised. Nevertheless, the backlog remains substantial in many local authorities.
The delays have immediate consequences for those affected. Households with little in reserve face cash-flow problems when rising rents and living costs coincide with support payments failing to arrive. Housing benefit is generally awarded retrospectively, which provides financial relief. However, a later back payment does not make up for the lack of funds during the weeks and months of waiting.
Responsibility is clearly divided under the law: the Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building is responsible for legislation and the funding framework, while implementation rests with the federal states and local authorities. Calls for faster processing are therefore directed mainly at local housing benefit offices. At the same time, local administrations point to the need for additional funding, more staff, faster digitalisation and, wherever possible, complete applications in order to reduce processing times.
MDR’s reporting on 11 November 2026 highlights the immediate issue; publications by local authorities and data from Destatis provide documented background on the structural strain.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).