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Cuts in minimum income: Caritas warns of social catastrophe!
Vienna is planning cuts to minimum income, which could place a heavy burden on families and vulnerable groups. Critics warn of consequences.
Cuts in minimum income: Caritas warns of social catastrophe!
A difficult time is looming for many families and vulnerable groups in Vienna. Cuts are planned Minimum security, which appear necessary to rehabilitate the city's budget. The aim is to achieve savings of up to 200 million euros, and the new regulation is scheduled to come into force at the beginning of 2026.
The losses will particularly place a heavy burden on families with children, (chronically) ill people, people with disabilities, older people and those entitled to subsidiary protection. Klaus Schwertner, the director of Caritas, warns against a reduction in social security. “Such measures endanger the success of integration and could increase the number of children at risk of poverty in Austria,” said Schwertner. Horrifying statistics show that 344,000 children in Austria are currently at risk of poverty and exclusion, and this number could continue to rise as a result of the upcoming cuts.
Cuts and their effects
The planned restrictions primarily affect the child guidelines. In the future, only 25% of the reference rates should apply as the basic amount for housing needs, which will significantly reduce rental assistance. In addition, the parent-family allowance has been eliminated, which further aggravates the financial situation of the affected families. Rising costs of living, especially rents and energy prices, make the situation even more precarious for many.
Another serious point concerns the approximately 10,000 people entitled to subsidiary protection in Vienna, including many minors. In the future, these will be excluded from the minimum income and will only be able to claim basic care. Diakonie therefore calls for the reversal of this exclusion and a comprehensive realignment of integration policy.
The numbers at a glance
In order to understand the effects of the minimum income on the Viennese population, it is worth taking a look at the data. In 2022, 134,303 people received the Vienna Minimum Security (WMS), which represents a slight decrease compared to previous years. What is particularly striking is that 42.1% of WMS recipients are recognized refugees, followed by 39.6% Austrian citizens and 11.1% third-country nationals. Over 35% of WMS recipients are also minors, which underlines the urgency of the situation.
- Richtlinie zur Mindestsicherung:
- 2022 lag der Mindeststandard für allein lebende Personen bei 977,94 Euro.
- Die BezieherInnen sind oft finanziell stark eingeschränkt und leben unter der Armutsgefährdungsgrenze von 1.392 Euro.
- Ein Großteil der BezieherInnen hält sich dem Arbeitsmarkt nicht zur Verfügung, was die Herausforderung zur Integration verstärkt.
According to the city's goals, Vienna's minimum income should not only combat poverty, but also promote social integration - but with the planned cuts, this will be a difficult undertaking. The calls for a review of these measures are becoming louder and are needed more than ever. How long can we afford this without putting a burden on the most vulnerable in our society?
For further information on the development of minimum income in Vienna and its effects, it is worth taking a look at Statistik Austria and the Integrationsmonitor. Current developments show that it is now time to think about alternative solutions to maintain Vienna as a social place of residence for everyone.