VIENNA — Austria’s capital is preparing for a controversial welfare change that could leave thousands of residents without key financial support. Starting January 1, people in Vienna who hold subsidiary protection status will lose access to the country’s minimum income benefit, known as Mindestsicherung, and will instead be shifted into the more restrictive basic care system.
Vienna’s Social Affairs Councilor Peter Hacker, from the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ), defended the move in the city’s parliament, saying it follows an already approved European Union directive. Still, he admitted that how the city will handle existing benefit rulings — or whether transitional aid will be provided; remains undecided.
The human rights group SOS Mitmensch has sharply criticized the reform, warning that around 2,500 children are among those set to lose support. In total, about 10,000 people with subsidiary protection status in Vienna will be affected. “Tearing apart the lowest social safety net hits children the hardest,” said SOS Mitmensch spokesperson Alexander Pollak. “This exclusion will trigger a dramatic rise in child poverty.”
Pollak also pointed out that chronically ill, disabled, and caregiving individuals will bear a disproportionate burden. He accused the city of contradicting its own warnings from 2018, when it cautioned that welfare cuts would deepen child poverty and limit children’s prospects. More than 3,500 people have already signed a petition against the policy.
Hacker’s office confirmed SOS Mitmensch’s figures, noting that minors make up 24 percent of Vienna’s welfare recipients, while 21 percent are aged 18 to 24. The largest group, adults aged 25 to 64, accounts for 51 percent, and only 4 percent are seniors. The city maintains that federal authorities and Austria’s Public Employment Service (AMS) must now take responsibility for those losing support.
