Hacker with an attack

“Let the head of the AMS deal with the problems”

Vienna City Councillor Peter Hacker tackles AMS boss Johannes Kopf (left) head-on.

(Bild: APA/Eva Manhart, Klemens Groh)

4600 euros in minimum benefits for a large Syrian family - Vienna's Social Welfare Councillor Peter Hacker (SPÖ) has many explanations for this. Including: a frontal attack on the head of the AMS.

"Krone": Councillor, without work, a refugee family from Syria with seven children receives 4600 euros, another with eight children more than 5000 euros. In addition, there is the child allowance of 132 to 191 euros per child and other tax relief. There is a housing bonus, an energy bonus and a school starting allowance of 116 euros per head. And a range of discounts such as exemption from prescription charges and the ORF contribution as well as discounts at the swimming pools, Wiener Linien and much more. Please explain this to a working middle-class family who barely makes ends meet but has to help finance this system.
Peter Hacker: These rules apply to everyone in our city. We're not talking about a single person, but a family of nine people. That's around 500 euros per person. If a working-class family has seven children, they get exactly the same amount of support. That is a matter of course. In this media competition, attempts are currently being made to reduce the fight against poverty even further. As if we would all be better off if the poor were even worse off.