Death in the household and housing benefit

Housing benefit presupposes that the people named in the decision notice still belong to the household. A death changes this basis. The duty to notify applies even if no one is “to blame” for the change. The purpose is to allocate further payments correctly and to avoid overpayments.

Report the date of death as soon as it is settled. Evidence is usually the death certificate and, if available, the last decision notice. The Housing Office handles the case in writing; an open drop-in hour without an appointment is not usually offered.

Housing benefit is tied to the entitled person and their household. If the deceased person lived alone, the claim ends with the death. There is no automatic continued payment to the community of heirs and no “suspension” for an indefinite time.

Payments that still arrive after the month of death are usually to be repaid. Heirs, guardians or other people with power of disposal should inform the office without delay and name the account to which transfers were made. That does not create an entitlement of the heirs to apply themselves.

If further people live in the dwelling, the number of household members and often total income change – for example because a pension falls away or survivors’ benefits newly arise. The authority examines whether and of what amount housing benefit can continue for the smaller household.

Depending on the situation the previous decision notice is adjusted, or the remaining people submit their own application. A survivors’ pension, an orphan’s pension and maintenance from the estate generally count as income. The general eligibility rules must still be met.

Besides the death certificate, a statement of who stays in the dwelling, evidence of new pensions or of income that has fallen away, and – for sole heirs – evidence of the power of representation if account questions must be clarified, all help. The authority requests more if in doubt.

An overview of the usual documents is under Documents. The point is not to formalise grief, but to make the payment route and the household clear. Copies usually suffice.

If the dwelling is given up, the award for this address ends. If remaining household members move into another dwelling in Frankfurt, the same applies as for every move: the old award does not carry the new dwelling; a new application is needed.

For living space in Frankfurt the Housing Office remains responsible. If the new dwelling lies outside the city, competence changes. Report the move-out date and the new address so that no payments run into the void.

The authority records the change in a new or revoking decision notice. It states until when payment was made and whether amounts are to be reclaimed. Check the reasons and the periods named.

If you consider the decision wrong, an appeal remains the formal route; the deadline is on the decision notice. A refusal for remaining relatives is to be distinguished from a mere ending because of the death of the person who lived alone.