This article was translated from Arabic. Read the Arabic original
Austria Now News – Vienna
The reform of social assistance (Sozialhilfe) could save Austria’s nine provinces a combined total of around €148.8 million a year compared with 2024, according to new calculations published by the newspaper Heute on Monday morning, with the largest share of the savings falling on Vienna.
Vienna accounts for 78 percent
Total spending on minimum income support (Mindestsicherung) and social assistance in Austria amounted to around €1.32 billion in 2024, the most recent year covered by Statistik Austria. The potential savings would mean a decline of 11.3 percent.
Around 78 percent of the calculated savings fall on the capital, as Vienna could cut its spending by around €115.7 million a year, or 11.8 percent. In percentage terms, the largest decline is in Vorarlberg at 12.9 percent, followed by Tyrol at 12.7 percent.
Three tiers up to €1,229 a month
The reform provides for uniform amounts for adults across Austria, divided into three tiers: a basic amount of €861, an additional €155 for those taking part in integration measures, and a further €213 for participation in labour market measures – up to €1,229 a month in total. People who are permanently unable to work, such as people with disabilities, are exempt from this requirement and receive the full amount directly.
Amounts for additional children are also set: for the second to fourth child, a range applies within which the provinces determine the amount, up to a maximum of €307. That is €25 less than the uniform amount of €332 per child currently in force in Vienna.
Actual savings uncertain
However, some provinces such as Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Styria have already tightened their rules on their own since 2024, so part of these savings may already have been achieved, and the €148.8 million does not necessarily represent additional savings. The reform is due to take effect on 1 January 2027, but its financial impact in the first year will remain limited, as the provinces must first amend their laws within a transition period of several months.
Austria Now News – keeping you up to date.
Symbolic image
Sources
- Heute, Sozialhilfe: So viele Millionen werden künftig gespart, 02.11.2026, heute.at
