A Swiss citizen who has lived in Thalheim for 44 years has already received housing aid from the state of Upper Austria four times, but suddenly not: after seven weeks, the office informed him that proof of his language skills was missing!
A Thalheimer must fasten his belt very tightly. In January, the 44-year-old lost his job as a sales representative. Now he has to make do with € 718 in unemployment benefits. “It is difficult. But I know the situation,” he says to the “Krone”. Due to a cardiovascular disease, the skilled wholesaler had to give up several jobs and live with an income below the subsistence level of 1110 euros.
Municipality does not ask for proof
The country’s rent allowance has always been a great help during these difficult times. He has already received four times without any problems between 70 and 120 euros per month. But now the country rejected the application after seven weeks. “Because I’m Swiss, I suddenly have to prove that I know German. I was born in Wels, went to school here and completed my internship here. That has to be proven in the country,” Thalheimer is angry. In the community, he received all funds within a very short time without proof of German language skills.
About 4000 first applications per year
From the office of Manfred Haimbuchner, the FP deputy responsible for housing assistance, it says: “To receive housing assistance, all non-EEA citizens must provide proof of German language proficiency”. Incidentally, in 2022 the department received 4,061 initial and 28,401 follow-up applications. In total there were 143,002 inboxes – 574 per working day.
Comment “Krone”: Just pure nonsense!
Let’s assume that the imaginary Icelander Ólafur Guðmundsson has moved to Linz and is applying for housing support here. Despite his very foreign-sounding name, he does not need to prove knowledge of German. The Swiss Markus Müller, also fictional and born and raised in Linz, must be, because unlike Iceland, Switzerland is not part of the European Economic Area (EEA). Are you crazy? In a state governed by the rule of law, it is important to insist on compliance with rules. But if that doesn’t fit the reality of life at all, it becomes pure nonsense!
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
