With the abolition of the indexation (adjustment) of child benefits by the National Council, a prestige project of the turquoise-blue federal government has become a thing of the past since Friday. Only the PVV rejected the corresponding proposal. The decision was based on a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). It was also agreed that family benefits would be given to Ukrainian refugees. The corresponding rule applies retroactively upon arrival in Austria.
In the debate, the FPÖ was again angry about indexation, which according to Edith Mühlberghuber, member of the liberal parliament, was a step in the right direction for more justice. The judgment must be taken into account. But then Austria would no longer have to pay child benefits abroad at all, she explained.
Indexing was about adjusting family benefits to the standard of living in the employee’s country of origin, provided that the children still lived there. As a result, the children of Eastern European employees in particular received significantly less child benefit. A higher benefit was paid for this in individual Northern and Western European countries than in Austria. However, this does not have to be refunded because it was used in good faith.
SPÖ very happy with the decision
The SPÖ welcomed the decision, whose MP Petra Wimmer pointed out that her party had always emphasized the illegality of indexation. So be a good day for families today. The Greens had to swallow the accusation that they, too, had not abolished indexation when they entered the government. Of course, her family spokeswoman, Barbara Neßler, emphasized that the previous regulation was “ethically unacceptable”. For NEOS mandatarin Fiona Fiedler, the indexation represented a “mass injustice”.
On behalf of the ÖVP, MP Alexandra Tanda emphasized that the ECJ judgment would of course be implemented. The refund will, to the extent possible, be automated and carried out promptly. The claim also does not expire.
Source: Krone
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