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Social welfare chaos: Why people with disabilities have to suffer!
The Poverty Conference calls for reforms of social welfare in Austria in order to enable people with disabilities to live a self-determined life.
Social welfare chaos: Why people with disabilities have to suffer!
The poverty conference puts its finger in the wound! People with disabilities who live in their parents' homes are excluded from social support if their parents themselves have a low income. These outrageous grievances are particularly evident in Lower Austria and Upper Austria, as the network denounced at a press conference. Current social welfare legislation often forces these already disadvantaged people to sue their parents for maintenance. This leads to a vicious circle that massively restricts the self-determination and dignity of those affected OTS reported.
The new social welfare regulations promote social isolation instead of integration. One in three eligible people do not receive the support they urgently need, particularly in rural areas where stigma and bureaucracy prevent access to help. Social expert Martin Schenk calls this a dramatic step backwards in the fight against poverty. The Poverty Conference calls for a fundamental reform of the minimum income that secures the basic rights of those affected instead of fobbing them off with handouts. These abuses not only affect people with disabilities, but also other vulnerable groups, such as women in need or families who have to suffer under the new conditions Poverty Conference reported.
Drastic cuts for people in need
The new social assistance law stipulates that people with disabilities living in their own homes must use up their savings before receiving support. This regulation is a direct violation of Article 28 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which calls for an improvement in living conditions. In addition, the additional income limit is radically reduced, so that even small incomes are no longer enough to live on. For many, this means that they have to choose between survival and self-determination, while the administrative burden in the offices increases and aid is further reduced.
The Poverty Conference urgently suggests limiting parents' maintenance obligations to the age of 25. In addition, a comprehensive reform of social welfare is necessary to enable people to have existential security and real participation. Urgent emergency aid, shorter decision-making times and appropriate housing assistance should ensure that no one falls into poverty again. The political address for comprehensive change is clear: action must be taken quickly to give people what they deserve.