Applying for childcare allowance appears to be a real barrier for some parents. The reasons for this are far too complicated regulations and the strict instructions of the Ministry of Family Affairs, which the health insurers responsible for the benefit must adhere to. Unlike other social benefits, there is no room for maneuver, the Chamber of Labor explains to the ‘Krone’. The AK represents underprivileged parents in court. The most recent case concerns a mother who had to fight for more than a year for the means-tested childcare allowance for her second child.
The woman has been working for a company since 2015. When she wanted to return to work after the birth of her first child, the employer planned to fire her because he was moving the office abroad. She was already pregnant with her second child at the time. The two agreed that the employment relationship would end after the birth of their second child with the end of maternity leave.
Although the woman met all the requirements, the ÖGK rejected her application for means-tested childcare allowance. The ÖGK assumed that the woman had previously terminated her employment and that the termination date was equated with her return from maternity leave to receive unlawful child benefit.
Another woman had to fight for child support for eight years. Bettina G. had stayed abroad several times. She has a child together with a Greek. The Austrian authorities have repeatedly asked her to prove that she does not receive support services in any other EU country. After eight years, the Board of the Ombudsman and the Chamber of Labor fought for money for women. The AK reports that there are always problems with cross-border cases.
Particularly tragic is the case of a young mother whose partner and father of her son died unexpectedly. During the period for which the man applied for income-related childcare allowance, the family now has no income. Ombudsman Bernhard Achitz calls for a change in the law: “After the death of your partner, being a single mother from one day to the next is already difficult in itself. I don’t see her falling over for the childcare allowance either. It is now up to Parliament to reintroduce a hardship regime for such cases.”
Given the many obstacles, parents rate the childcare allowance poorly, according to research commissioned by the Chamber of Labor. For example, 60 percent are dissatisfied with the child benefit. The main problems are complicated regulations (62 percent), the additional income limits (52 percent) and the application form (45 percent). Nine percent indicate that their child benefit has been reclaimed. The most common reasons for this are the lack of supporting documents from the mother-child passport examinations and exceeding the additional income limits. The Chamber of Labor calls for a reform of child benefits.
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.
