Here is how social assistance currently differs in the federal states

While the reform provides for an "integration phase" for immigrants and a new regulation for the staggered social assistance rates for children, which was annulled by the Constitutional Court in 2019, some federal states are already tightening their existing regulations. The corresponding resolution was passed in the Vienna state parliament on Wednesday.

Nationwide Guidelines for Social Assistance in Federal States

The currently applicable nationwide guidelines are enshrined in the Social Assistance Basic Law (SH-GG) created in 2019. Instead of minimum standards, the basic law provides for maximum rates (maximum amounts). For individuals living alone and single parents, the amount of social assistance in 2025 is a maximum of approximately 1,209 euros per month. For couples, a monthly maximum amount of approximately 1,693 euros has been set. For adults living with others in a community of need, only 70 percent of the full benefit is to be granted per eligible person (846 euros), and from the third adult person, 45 percent (544 euros). To cover housing needs, 30 percent more can be granted than is stipulated in the maximum rate ("housing cost allowance"), and there are additional benefits for specific cases.

Social Assistance: Additional Benefits for Children Decision in Federal States

There are additional cash benefits for children. The states can determine these freely, as the Constitutional Court annulled the progressively decreasing maximum rates for minors set in the Social Assistance Basic Law in December 2019. In Vienna, Salzburg, Carinthia, and Burgenland, there is the same amount of money for each child, regardless of family size. In all other states, the cash benefits decrease depending on the number of children.

Highest Social Assistance in Vorarlberg - Lowest in Burgenland

According to the Ministry of Social Affairs, the average benefit amount in 2023 was 802 euros per month per community of need (this refers to the eligible individuals and can consist of one or more persons, e.g., in a shared household). The highest benefit was in Vorarlberg (921 euros), the lowest in Burgenland (671 euros), with the federal capital Vienna averaging 805 euros among the states. The SH-GG has not yet been implemented in all federal states through the Social Assistance Implementation Act, for example, in Tyrol, where the old minimum security still applies, or in Vienna with only partial implementation. According to Statistics Austria, total expenditures amounted to 1.3 billion euros in 2024 - the share of costs in the total budget was thus 0.27 percent of GDP.

(APA/Red)

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