As Karl Nehammer announced in his forthcoming speech, receiving social benefits should be subject to conditions. Only those who have been in the country for five years should receive full assistance. Insurance benefits such as unemployment benefits or family benefits should not be affected. Within the coalition with the Greens, he wants to at least “discuss the project,” the Nehammer chancellor said on the sidelines of a trip to Denmark.
Linking benefits to residence in the country will be the main topic of Nehammer’s meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, a social democrat. In Denmark, you must have been legally resident for at least nine of the past ten years in order to claim the full amount of social security benefits. Otherwise there is only half.
“Denmark is a role model here, there are already very strict rules here,” Nehammer said before the meeting. It is now time to adjust these regulations for Austria. The question is, “How do you make yourself as unattractive as possible to become an immigrant country in the social system?” It is important for the chancellor to create a rule that applies to everyone. So far, schemes referring only to illegal migrants have not worked.
Nehammer also stressed that the specific design of social assistance is still a national responsibility. With regard to implementation in this legislature, the Chancellor has set the goal of “definitely discussing the subject again”. “Our coalition partner is of course ideologically on the other side, especially when it comes to migration issues. We’ve known that since we led the coalition,” he said, “but there’s also a perspective that goes further.”
Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) had already opposed the initiative after the Chancellor’s speech. The need for support should be decisive for receiving social benefits and not the length of stay in Austria or the extent of employment. Moreover, the idea is hardly feasible from a legal point of view, since most benefits are insurance benefits. These – such as unemployment benefits – would not be done anyway, it said
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
