Austria Weighs Social Assistance Overhaul: Lower Starting Payments for Non-Contributors, Full Rate After Courses and Job Search
VIENNA — Austria's government is considering an overhaul of social assistance, the Kronen Zeitung reported. The plans would cut child payments and introduce tiered rates for non-citizen applicants who have never contributed in Austria: an initial payment of about €860 a month, roughly 70 percent of the standard rate, rising to €1,045 after language and values courses, with the full €1,230 only for those showing genuine job-search efforts. A waiting period of four to five months is also under discussion. No final agreement has been reached; the law would need a two-thirds parliamentary majority and is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027. Freedom Party councillors in Styria and Salzburg have already objected.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 维也纳圣斯蒂芬大教堂 / St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna。图片：© acediscovery / CC BY 4.0，Wikimedia Commons
