Insighted claim: Minimum pensioner has to pay ORF contribution!

Insighted claim: Minimum pensioner has to pay ORF contribution!

Ms. H., a pensioner from Vienna, is faced with great financial difficulties due to her low disability pension. According to the information from Exxpress she was so far freed from the payment of the ORF contribution, but this liberation left at the end of March 2025. At the end of February 2025, she received a payment request for 15.30 euros for the ORF contribution for April and was now forced to become active.

In March 2025, Ms. H. submitted an application for liberation and submitted the necessary documents. However, despite several email requests, feedback from ORF contribution Service GmbH (OBS) failed to feed. The case only became public by intervening the Exxpress, which made a press request to the OBS. The following day, promptly received the relief notice, which confirmed her liberation until March 31, 2030.

The difficulties of the application

The OBS confirmed that Ms. H. had actually made an application for exemption and that it was now approved. Doris Vogelsinger, the head of the legal department of the OBS, explained that every concern was important, but admitted that long waiting times can currently occur. This Situation is no coincidence: the OBS has been exposed to violent criticism for some time, for example by lawyers, contributors, the public prosecutor and the ORF Foundation Council and the Chamber of Labor.

For people with social and/or physical need, there is the possibility to apply for a liberation from the ORF contribution. This regulation was introduced on January 1, 2024 when the GIS fee was replaced by the new "budget contribution". According to Austria.gv.at , applicants must be all -off and have their main residence for which the liberation should apply.

Requirements for exemption

In addition, the budget net income of all people living in the household must not exceed a certain limit. Among other things, recipients of guest houses and people who use various social benefits are entitled to claim. A valid notice of liberation remains valid until the process and must be reported immediately if the financial situation is changed.

The application for a liberation is made via the OBS website, where an online tool leads the applicants through a two-stage procedure. There, the legal bases are first checked and then the household net income is calculated. ig-care also informs that further help such as liberation of recipe fees or grants are also tied to certain conditions are.