The federal government’s climate bonus not only puts a smile on people’s faces, but also puts a question mark on some people’s faces. The payment formalities in particular cause confusion for many recipients. The “Krone” makes it clear when the money must be in the account by the latest, who to contact if this is not the case and who has to be patient until the spring of 2023.
“Have you received it yet?” is probably one of the most frequently asked questions these days. We are talking about the climate bonus, which is paid in the amount of 500 euros per adult and 250 euros per child. More than every second person can now answer ‘yes’, because according to the Ministry of Climate, 5.1 million had already been paid out on Thursday.
Subscribers are randomly ranked
The IT company from Linz that has been commissioned for this, manages 300,000 transfers per day. What surprises many recipients is that the money arrives at the families in phases and not in a bundle. For example, the mother of the S. family in Vienna has already received the bonus for two of her three children, but not yet for herself and the third child. The father is also still waiting for the bonus.
Why? In the Ministry of Climate, this question is answered as follows: “The payment is made in the order in which the ZMR data is sent to us by the Ministry of the Interior. This is not done alphabetically or by region.”
Children born in 2022 will not receive the bonus until 2023
Anyone who has a child in 2022 will have to wait until the beginning of next year. Because according to the ministry, only those people who were 183 days old on July 2, 2022 will be registered this year. In total, 7.4 million people receive the money by bank transfer from the IT company in Linz. These are all who have deposited payment account details with FinanzOnline, who have received a pension from the PVA or who have paid child benefit into their account. 1.2 million recipients receive an RSa letter. If there is no account information, the climate bonus comes as a Sodexo voucher (which can be exchanged for money at Bank99) by RSa letter.
Self-employed people are annoyed by non-transfer
According to Gewessler’s office, this affects 1.2 million people. But here too there are problems. Krone reader Melanie L. reports: “I’m happy with the money and I don’t really care if I get it on my account or with a voucher. I just find it strange that the state can’t transfer the money to everyone who is on FinanzOnline. I have been self-employed for ten years, my account details are stored.”
Melanie L. is not an isolated case. Countless patients report similar problems online and criticize the extra effort involved.
1.2 million RSa letters
Incomprehensible to many: the costs incurred by the state as a result. Quite explosive, because according to Post AG an RSa letter costs 4.30 euros plus postage (85 cents). With 1.2 million letters alone, this costs almost 6.2 million euros. Melanie L.: “This money could have been better spent elsewhere.” However, the Post assures: “Depending on the quantity, delivery and the like, there are also discounts and price reductions.”
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.
