Greens criticize social assistance reform: "Race to the bottom"

The Green Party in Austria is calling for a fundamental shift in the planned social assistance reform, urging a move from maximum benefit caps to guaranteed minimum standards. Markus Koza, the Green Party's social affairs spokesperson, stated that for employable recipients, social assistance should function as a "springboard" into employment. However, he stressed the need to focus more attention on the significant portion of recipients who are unable to work, often due to age or other factors.

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The Green Party is calling for a shift from maximum benefit caps to guaranteed minimum standards.

Koza expressed pessimism regarding the current negotiations for "Sozialhilfe NEU," a reform aimed at introducing uniform national regulations by the ÖVP-SPÖ-Neos coalition. He believes the federal government has "missed its chance" as the states largely implemented their own stricter measures last year, leaving the federal level with a diminished role. Koza anticipates a "corridor solution" with some flexibility in benefit amounts, rather than a true minimum standard.

He criticized the current system, which sets maximum rates instead of minimums, arguing that the core principle of social security has been "completely lost." Koza described it as "very short-sighted" to target cuts at the "last safety net," potentially jeopardizing recipients' ability to maintain housing. He asserted that social assistance must guarantee a final safety net for those without adequate insurance, countering the narrative that recipients are "parasites" or haven't contributed to the system. He emphasized that social assistance is "not an insurance benefit."

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It is very short-sighted to start cutting at the last safety net.

Furthermore, Koza pointed out that public discourse often focuses disproportionately on the minority of employable social assistance recipients. Statistics Austria data shows that 43 percent of recipients are employable, with 35 percent unemployed and 8 percent working but receiving supplementary assistance. The majority, however, are not employable, including children (37 percent), pensioners (7 percent), and individuals with caregiving responsibilities (5 percent). Many also face multiple crises, such as unemployment, debt, and family issues, making participation in the labor market impossible.

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Social assistance is not an insurance benefit.