The Department of Social Affairs expects up to 70,000 applications for housing benefit next year, five times as many as before, as a result of the new Housing Benefit Plus Act, which will come into force on January 1st. According to estimates, only about every fifth application is likely to be successful. However, in order to cope with the enormous amount, the staff of the housing benefit office is to be almost doubled. In addition to the current 51 full-time positions, a further 27 and up to 20 temporary workers are to be added.
In addition, the social services department’s service hotline will be expanded to include 15 positions in order to relieve housing benefit processing of information on the application process. This was decided by the city council’s social committee. Depending on how quickly the position is filled, there will be additional costs of around 4.5 million euros next year. The social department relies on forces that are no longer needed for corona contact tracing. In addition, a central point of contact is to be designed that will make it possible to clarify in advance whether a claim to housing benefit could exist at all.
Mayor Verena Dietl (SPD) was confident that once the new staff had been trained, “the current processing time of around twelve months would be significantly reduced again”.
With the service telephone and the unbureaucratic preliminary check, “we want to quickly enable more people to receive more housing benefits in Munich,” said SPD city councilor Christian Köning. Since those who receive housing benefit also receive the Munich Pass and benefits from the heat fund, “particular urgency is required in view of inflation and the rise in energy prices”.