Waiting times for housing benefit applications: Eimsbüttel affected the longest!

Waiting times for housing benefit applications: Eimsbüttel affected the longest!

In Hamburg, the situation surrounding housing benefit applications is anything but relaxed. On average, applicants in the Hanseatic city have to wait up to 18 weeks for their applications to be processed. The situation is particularly dire in Eimsbüttel, where the processing time increases to a shocking 30.3 weeks. This is not only nerve-wracking, but can also be a threat to the existence of families, especially for families due to rising rents and inflation, as Olga Fritzsche from the Left Party emphasizes. In contrast, the residents of Hamburg-Nord, where applications are processed after an average of 10.2 weeks, and Harburg with 20.8 weeks, which is not really fast either, benefit. The Morning Post reports.

The increasing number of applications in the wake of the 2023 reform, which will make more Hamburg residents eligible for housing benefit, certainly also plays a role. In January 2025, 23,055 households already received support, which corresponds to an increase of 10,000 applications compared to the pre-reform period. This increase resulted in over 2,000 applications remaining unprocessed in the queue in November 2024. In order to get all of this under control, the city is now relying on innovative technology and testing the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

Increasing efficiency with AI

An AI-supported chatbot is intended to help optimize the online application process for housing benefit. Similar to Düsseldorf, where an AI solution has already been implemented, it is checked whether the applications are submitted completely and information such as cover letters is created automatically. These measures could help shorten the long waiting times and reduce the pressure on the authorities.

But it's not just the technology that's important. When submitting an application, those affected must ensure that all information is complete and supported by appropriate evidence. Missing documents quickly lead to delays that lengthen the process unnecessarily. Anyone who has questions about their application can contact the central housing benefit hotline, which provides clear information, even if processing can generally take a while. Applicants must be patient because the processing times are not at their expense - after all, payment is made retroactively for the period since the application was received the authority says.

The situation on the housing market

According to the latest figures from the housing benefit calculator, the average housing benefit paid out in Germany is around €268.11. In Hamburg, households even receive an average of €292, which is quite high compared to other federal states. Interestingly, over 40% of housing benefit applications come from single-person households, and single parents also represent a significant proportion, with a stable proportion of between 16 and 19% in recent months. There are further details about the housing benefit statistics here.

The challenges on the housing market are clear: rising rental costs and growing demands for housing benefit are leading to an increase in applications and thus to longer waiting times. It remains to be seen whether the new technologies and reforms will bring noticeable relief and help those affected get the resources they urgently need more quickly.