AMS cuts funding

Mothers threatened with ruin: “We are being totally defamed!”

Many mothers do not want to appear in front of the camera because they are afraid of being attacked in the same way. In the provincial government in St. Pölten, courageous exceptions stepped in front of the curtain with Lower Austrian Provincial Parliament President Waldhäusl.

(Bild: Molnar Attila)

Women who have received training allowance are threatened with repayments of between 8,000 and 28,000 euros and subsequent deregistration from social insurance. They are accepting the offer of help from Lower Austrian Provincial Parliament President Gottfried Waldhäusl - the Viennese lawyer Astrid Wagner will provide legal support. So far, it has mainly affected women from Lower Austria. There are fears that this will not remain the case.

According to the AMS, a case in Lower Austria triggered an audit of a course institute. It was suddenly discovered that the course did not meet the criteria, even though it had previously been approved. As a result, 60 of those affected - almost all of whom are young mothers - have not only been asked to return their training allowance, but their social insurance has also simply been canceled retrospectively.

Legal regulations remain the same
Furthermore, the AMS has now filed a complaint with the Social Fraud Taskforce. "We registered as normal and did what was required," says one of the women whose livelihood has been torn from under their feet. At the moment, it mainly affects women from Lower Austria. Although there are now new instructions from the federal AMS for the legal regulation, which has remained the same for many years, the individual offices of the provinces are likely to proceed differently.

Other course institutes in the crosshairs?
The AMS denies this, just as it denies that Upper Austria has now targeted three other course institutes. "There are currently no other suspected cases regarding further training allowances," it says.

Lower Austrian Provincial Parliament President Gottfried Waldhäusl has now offered legal assistance to those affected, some of whom have also been denied help by the Chamber of Labor and whose legal protection against the AMS has been withdrawn in droves: "This is gross injustice! What is happening here is that women who have done nothing wrong are suddenly being portrayed as fraudsters," he says, calling on the federal government to finally intervene. So far, 45 of those affected have contacted him - many more are still trembling in anticipation of the impending repayment.

A loan on the house and heavily pregnant with her second child: the 32-year-old Barbara Bozek from the Waldviertel region is now suffering severe existential fears through no fault of her own.

(Bild: Schindler Klaus/Klaus Schindler)

Mother Tamara Moser, pictured with her daughter, is also worried about her social insurance, which was suddenly cut off by the AMS.

(Bild: Klaus Schindler)

Lawyer Astrid Wagner is on board
Viennese lawyer Astrid Wagner will take care of the cases. However, she first has to take a closer look at them: "I have already had several experiences with the AMS and consider this to be a completely antisocial approach - social thinking seems to have been completely lost in this institution!" The Ministry of Labor comments: "We only provide for a reclaim if untrue statements have been made."