The ÖVP would like a payment card for asylum seekers, with which only benefits in kind can be financed. So far, the rules are not the same in the federal states: a card is only available in Tyrol.
The money is transferred to so-called ELEG accounts. Refugees and asylum seekers can withdraw cash, but cannot make transfers abroad. The justification for the card is that it avoids queues for payouts.
Other states such as Vienna and Burgenland depend on transfers to an account. In Upper Austria the money is paid out in cash or transferred, in Salzburg there is cash and in Styria the regional support service Caritas pays out.
165 euros for the rent
There is money for housing, food and clothing. Anyone who has found private housing will receive 165 euros per month in rent, families will receive 330 euros. Food costs 260 euros or 145 euros for minors. In addition, there is a clothing allowance of approximately 150 euros per year. An adult who lives privately without a family only has about 440 euros per month.
Refugees from Ukraine in particular have found private housing. Otherwise, most refugees and asylum seekers live in organized neighborhoods. The money for the rent is then sent directly to the accommodation providers. In Lower Austria there is also a meal allowance of seven euros per day (210 euros per month), in Carinthia this is 215 euros. There may also be extra money for school supplies.
40 euros pocket money per month
Most states also give pocket money to people who receive basic care. That is about 40 euros per month. In Vienna and Salzburg there is another ten euros in leisure money. Upper Austria does not give pocket money at all.
The potential to set aside money, as the ÖVP fears, should therefore be manageable.
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.
