Social welfare reform: massive cuts and new rules in focus!

Social welfare reform: massive cuts and new rules in focus!

In Austria, the planned reforms of social assistance by the FPÖ and the ÖVP are the focus of lively political discussions. A recently published proposal that reached various media provides for profound changes, which include cuts and waiting periods for beneficiaries. The coalition plans to involve family allowance in the calculation of the social welfare services, which has been met with resistance, since previous attempts at reform have already failed in court, such as kosmo.at .

A central point of these reforms is the proposal that people who apply for social assistance only receive full performance after an proven employment of at least three years. Until then, they would have to do just about 600 euros per month compared to the current 1,209 euros. In addition, a so-called "integration path" is to be introduced, which provides mandatory working and internship times during the waiting period. Critics warn that decoupling social assistance from the annual inflation adjustments could lead to a loss of value in the long term, while the calculation of family allowance could lead to massive financial burdens, especially in large cities such as Vienna href = "https://www.bmas.de/de/sociales/socialhilfe/fragen-und-wertwert-szialhilfe/oft-tetzette--und-wertwert--szialhilfe.html"> bmas.de .

social assistance and housing securing

In addition to the planned social cuts, social assistance also provides measures to support people who are threatened by homelessness. The social welfare office has the opportunity to take over rent residues to prevent the loss of the apartment. Even if an eviction lawsuit has already been submitted, the social welfare office can still intervene and take measures to maintain the apartment. These measures also include the assumption of residues in energy supply in order to avoid blocking. When concluding a new lease, those in need of help must also contact the social welfare office in order to ensure a reasonable assumption of costs.