Wohngeld to 55,000 Berlin households still in danger
Berlin's housing benefit is paid at the end of the month. That is ten days away, and the offices that process it have been offline since 14 August.
Two Berlin Senate administrations, the one responsible for urban development, building and housing and the one for mobility, transport, environment and climate, were cut off from the state network after a hacker attack was detected on Friday 14 August and confirmed publicly on Monday 17 August. A week later the authorities are still not fully able to work.
The consequence for tenants is concrete. District housing offices cannot process Wohngeld cases at all. The Pankow district office has published a notice stating that approval of Wohngeld, of Bildung und Teilhabe payments for children, and the issuing of Wohnberechtigungsscheine are currently impossible, and that payments already approved may also be affected. It says it does not know when the fault will be repaired and asks people not to call to ask about the status of their case. Around 55,000 Berlin households receive Wohngeld, roughly double the number in 2022, with an average monthly amount of between about 264 and 323 euros depending on the district.
The Senate says it is working hard to make sure the payments go out on time, but it has given no binding guarantee. Members of the Berlin parliament have asked for a fallback route so the state treasury or the districts can pay recipients directly if the normal systems stay down.
What to do if you receive Wohngeld in Berlin. Do not assume the money will fail to arrive, but do not count on it either. Check your account at the end of the month. If the payment is missing, write to your landlord before the rent falls due, say the delay is caused by an administrative fault and keep a copy: a documented failure at the authority is a far stronger position than an unexplained late rent. Save any notice or screenshot showing the disruption. New applications and renewals submitted now will not be processed until the systems return, so send them anyway to protect your application date, and expect a wait.