End of school start allowance

Dispute over inflation and financial aid for families

According to the study, starting school costs up to 189 euros per child.

(Bild: Dostal Harald)

Because Lower Austria does not have its own school starting allowance this year, the SPÖ and ÖVP are already at loggerheads before the end of the summer vacations.

Where is the Lower Austrian school starting grant? With this simple question, SPÖ boss Sven Hergovich and his state council colleague Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig started a political dispute. The ÖVP immediately switched to defense mode, accusing Hergovich of double-dealing: "It is unmistakable that they are obviously just trying to show off as a generous benefactor here, only to get angry about the expenses later," said Matthias Zauner, the black state managing director. 

Temporary inflationary aid
And the ÖVP functionary explains: "The blue-yellow school entry grant has been granted in the past two years as temporary and extraordinary support to relieve families during the extraordinary inflation.

From the outset, this measure was intended as emergency aid in the fight against record inflation.

Matthias Zauner, ÖVP-Landesschäftsführer

Zauner: "Hergovich completely ignores the fact that inflation in Austria was 8.6 percent in 2022 and 7.8 percent in 2023 and has now stabilized at 2.9 percent." The ÖVP man also refers to the federal government's school start grant and the "Ready for school!" campaign, which provides affected families with up to 300 euros.

For the ÖVP, inflation is apparently just a math exercise, but for families in the country it is dramatic.

Wolfgang Zwander, SPÖ-Landesschäftsführer

"Completely out of touch" is the SPÖ's explanation. Regional managing director Wolfgang Zwander also wants to give his ÖVP counterpart some math help: "Falling inflation doesn't mean that anything is getting cheaper. On the contrary: all those prices that have risen by 17 percent since 2021 will become another 3 percent more expensive," he says, calling for continued support in Lower Austria.