Social Assistance Tightening: ÖVP Wants Lower Austria Model as Upper Limit

The stricter rules are to be decided in the state parliament session on Thursday. "Lower Austria thus remains a pioneer in the fight against social abuse," Zauner declared at a press conference on Monday.

The tightening is about "fairness," said Zauner: "Social assistance is for the honest who need it, not for the lazy and not for the fraudsters." The amendment to the Lower Austrian Social Assistance Implementation Act is to come into force in 2026. If a reasonable job is refused, the benefit will be halved for at least three months in the future, previously it was four weeks. Each further breach of duty extends this reduction by four weeks each time. After a cancellation, a waiting period of six months is introduced before entitlement exists again.

"Those who deceive receive even less," emphasized Zauner

"Those who deceive receive even less," emphasized Zauner. Anyone who provides false information or conceals income or assets must expect fines of up to 5,000 euros. If the amount cannot be paid, a substitute prison sentence of up to six weeks is threatened. In addition, a minimum fine of 200 euros is introduced. Regulations like in Vienna, where a Syrian extended family with eleven children, for example, received social benefits totaling around 9,000 euros, are, according to Zauner, a factor in making a federal state particularly attractive for social assistance recipients. While in the federal capital more than 149,200 people and thus 7.3 percent of the population received social assistance in 2024, in Lower Austria it was just under 11,700 people or around 0.7 percent.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.