Austria comparison

Asylum: payment card currently only available in Tyrol

The ÖVP would like to see a payment card for asylum seekers that can only be used to pay for benefits in kind. So far, the rules in the federal states are not the same - a card only exists in Tyrol.

The money is transferred to so-called ELEG accounts. Refugees and asylum seekers can use it to withdraw cash, but not to make transfers abroad. The card is justified by the fact that this would avoid queues for payments.

Other federal states such as Vienna and Burgenland rely on transfers to an account. In Upper Austria, the money is either paid out in cash or by bank transfer, in Salzburg it is paid out in cash and in Styria the Caritas regional support service pays out.

165 euros for rent
There is money for accommodation, food and clothing. Those who have found private accommodation receive 165 euros a month for rent, families receive 330 euros. There is 260 euros for food and 145 euros for minors. There is also a clothing allowance of around 150 euros per year. An adult who lives in privately organized accommodation without a family therefore only has around 440 euros a month at their disposal.

Private accommodation has mainly been found by refugees from Ukraine. Otherwise, most refugees and asylum seekers live in organized accommodation. The money for the rent is then transferred directly to the accommodation providers. In Lower Austria, there is also a food allowance of seven euros per day (210 euros per month), in Carinthia it is 215 euros. There may also be extra money for school supplies.

40 euros pocket money per month
Most federal states also give pocket money to people who are in basic welfare support. This amounts to around 40 euros per month. In Vienna and Salzburg there is an additional ten euros in leisure money. Upper Austria does not give any pocket money at all.

The potential to put money aside, as the ÖVP fears, should therefore be manageable.