Vienna, Austria — Austria’s Minister for Social Welfare, Korinna Schumann, has announced plans to introduce a legal right allowing people to bring a trusted companion to sensitive medical examinations carried out by the Pensionsversicherungsanstalt (PVA), according to derStandard.
The proposed reform comes in response to growing public concern over the way disability and occupational incapacity pension assessments are conducted. At present, unlike evaluations for long-term care benefits, there is no automatic legal right for applicants to be accompanied by a family member or close friend during these often emotionally difficult examinations.
Speaking to the Austrian Press Agency (APA) on Friday, Minister Schumann said the legal basis for this right would soon be established. She stressed that people facing such delicate situations deserve certainty and support.
“This legal foundation will exist,” Schumann said, adding that the new rules would be designed specifically for the assessment process and developed in close cooperation with the PVA.
The issue has gained urgency after weeks of criticism from applicants and advocacy groups. Many people undergoing the examinations described the experience as stressful, disrespectful, and, in some cases, openly intimidating.
A recent study commissioned by the Upper Austrian Chamber of Labour and carried out by the Foresight Institute revealed troubling findings. Around 70 percent of respondents said they found the examinations either “barely respectful” or “not respectful at all.” Some reported being spoken to in a harsh, military-like tone, shouted at, or even accused of exaggerating or inventing their medical conditions.
In response, Schumann had already introduced an initial package of reforms last week. These measures included a new code of conduct for medical assessors, a formal complaints system for both the PVA and the Social Ministry Service, and the promise that applicants would be informed in advance of their right to bring a trusted person.
The latest announcement now seeks to firmly anchor that right in Austrian law.
Meanwhile, organizations such as the Austrian Disability Association (KOBV), the Chamber of Labour, and Pro Rare Austria continue to call for broader reforms.
For many people already burdened by illness or disability, these assessments can be deeply overwhelming. Schumann’s proposal aims to restore dignity, compassion, and legal clarity to a process that many have long found distressing.
