Budget is not enough – social security: Vienna needs 214 million euros more

Inflation adjustment of social assistance, housing benefit, family immigration, more recipients – that is a lot of money and puts unnecessary pressure on the tax pot. Because Vienna can no longer make ends meet with the 899,050,000 euros. In order to continue financing the social system, an additional 214.6 million euros must be urgently raised. The bottom line is that Vienna will spend 1.11 billion euros on social services this year alone – a new record.

Upon request, the city of Vienna will quickly provide an invoice showing how this 214 million euros has been made up. The office of social councilor Peter Hacker (SPÖ) explains the following figures:

• Plus 47 million euros via valorization from the federal government
  The minimum security is linked to the minimum pension. When one rises, the other rises too. “After increasing the minimum pension by 7.7 percent in 2023, the federal government has increased it by 9.7 percent for 2024 due to very high inflation,” the town hall statement reads.
  This was not yet known when the budget was drawn up. The hacker agency says: “Originally, the budget was intended for additional expenditure of 37 million euros. It is now clear that the additional costs resulting from the valorization of the federal government will probably amount to 84 million euros.”

• Plus 37 million euros through more upgrades
  If you do not earn enough, you can have your salary increased to the minimum safety level. “Almost half of all people with an income receive a benefit from the AMS, the majority of which is emergency aid or an allowance to cover living costs during the AMS training,” the city says. However, these benefits did not increase as much as the inflation correction for the minimum benefit. Ergo: more costs.

• Plus 82 million euros thanks to more recipients
  “Due to the economic recession and increasing unemployment,” the city of Vienna informed the federal government. But “family immigration in the current year also increased the number of children receiving a minimum income.”

Here the request to increase the funds received by the “Crown” becomes more concrete. It says: “The reasons for the rise in cases continue to see a rise in unemployment, especially among teenagers and young adults, as well as the increasing transition from basic care to minimum security when asylum and subsidiary protection are granted and in family reunification.” General: Vienna pays more money to refugees than other states.

• Plus 42 million euros through the new rental subsidy
  Vienna itself brought this about – the bill is now coming. “The innovation adopted in the Vienna State Parliament with the votes of the SPÖ, Neos, ÖVP and the Greens allows people whose income situation has so far been just above the upper rental subsidy limits to receive support,” the city replies. The high rental subsidy also brings together record contributions of around 4,600 euros for a large Syrian family.

• Plus 7 million euros due to an increase in health insurance premiums
  … and an increase in the number of people with health insurance at the minimum level. The smallest item.

In contrast to the minimum income, enthusiasm – especially among the opposition – is limited. When asked, Viennese FPÖ leader Dominik Nepp explains: “The SPÖ’s illegal mass migration ensures that the minimum income budget is finally exploding! An increase of 20 percent is not acceptable. It is high time that the minimum income is paid only to Austrian citizens.”

But there are also different movements within the SPÖ itself. Despite all the affection within the city council, Peter Hacker explained in an interview with the “Krone”: “A minimum of a billion euros in security does not scare me.” While Finance Councilor Peter Hanke, who tips the pot of money, also explained to the “Krone”: “A billion euros for the minimum income scares me!”