Annual report Vienna – minimum income: two-thirds are not Austrian

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The minimum security costs Vienna hundreds of millions of euros. Now we know who gets the money.

First the good news: The final version of the annual report on the minimum income for 2023 is finally available. And: With a cost amount of 795 million euros, they still remained within the forecast despite an increase of 15 percent. However, as reported, this should be improved to €1.1 billion for 2024 and €1.3 billion for 2025.

Reflection of the social emergency
Otherwise, the extensive report reads as a reflection of the social emergency. Last year, approximately 142,000 people depended on this support. That is an increase of almost six percent. But that also means: already seven percent of the total Viennese population cannot make ends meet on their own.

Already 62 percent are foreigners
A frequent point of criticism: the share of foreign recipients and those entitled to asylum and subsidiary protection. Here too, the report provides detailed insight and is grist to the critics’ mill. Already, 62 percent of those receiving a minimum income do not have an Austrian passport. That is an increase of 9.2 percent. This is mainly “due to the influx of asylum seekers and people entitled to subsidiary protection”, according to the report.

The growth rates: For those who are entitled to protection this is no less than 25 percent, for those who are entitled to asylum this is 8.5 percent. The majority of men in both areas. Many of them are minors, which “suggests births and family reunions.” This leads to another problem: more than half of those receiving a minimum income – 79,500 people – are now unavailable for the labor market.

The city has recovered 42 million euros
But: for the first time, the report also mentions refunds for non-compliance with the requirements. In 2023, 53,173 recoveries were filed – more than 4,400 cases per month. The city recovered almost 42 million euros last year.

Reactions from ÖVP and FPÖ
It didn’t take long for the opposition to respond either. ÖVP state party chairman Karl Mahrer: “It must finally put an end to the invitation policy towards people who only want to benefit from our social system. Vienna’s excessive social benefits must finally be a thing of the past.”

Mahrer again calls for social benefits for those entitled to subsidiary protection to be limited to the level of basic services and for standard minimum income rates for children in multi-child families to be spread out.
FPÖ leader Dominik Nepp speaks of an alarming development given the large share of non-Austrians: “This is leading our social system to the abyss.”

Source: Krone

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