How to get a housing allowance

Some people need support to maintain a property. Renting residential premises and all the related charges sometimes take the lion's share of the family budget. The question arises of how to get a housing allowance if you need one. Learn all about this topic now.

What is a housing allowance?

The allowance is a subsidy towards the costs of maintaining residential premises. It is worth mentioning that the support does not cover the whole of the costs. A single person or a family has the right to this type of financial support if they hold a legal title to the property and meet the other conditions of the housing allowances act. Further criteria checked by officials are income and the size of the property in relation to the number of occupants. A housing allowance is available to:

• Tenants of flats
• People who hold a cooperative right to a property (spółdzielcze prawo do lokalu)
• Owners of flats or houses
• People with a legal title to occupy residential premises
• People who bear expenses connected with residential premises
• People who are waiting for the social or replacement housing to which they are entitled

We can apply for a housing allowance if the average monthly income per person in the household does not exceed 125 per cent of the lowest pension in the case of multi-person households, or 175 per cent in the case of single-person households. Certain forms of support are not counted towards income, for example: material assistance for pupils, the allowance for the birth of a child, a care allowance or benefit, and food assistance.

READ ALSO: RENTING A FLAT TO A COMPANY FOR RESIDENTIAL PURPOSES!

The standards for the floor area of residential premises per person are precisely specified. For one person it is 35 square metres. Where more people are registered as resident, the area can increase by five square metres for each additional person. The area limit is higher for disabled people who use a wheelchair or whose disability requires them to have a separate room. The area may then be larger by 15 square metres.

How to get a housing allowance and how much is it?

To receive the financial support discussed in this article, you must submit the appropriate application. The amount of the allowance will depend on the applicant's income and on the costs of maintaining the property that they bear. Gas and electricity charges are not covered by the subsidy.