Proposal in St. Pölten

Welfare should only be provided in return for work

Those who receive money from the community should work for the community. The ÖVP wants to enforce this as a rule in St. Pölten.(Bild: AFP/Sylvain Thizy)

In the provincial capital, the ÖVP is now forging ahead. Their demand: anyone who wants financial support must carry out non-profit activities in return. This obligation should also apply to asylum seekers.

There will be no municipal elections in St. Pölten on Sunday, as they are not due until next year. Nevertheless, there will be a political stir. And the ÖVP is providing it in the city, which is completely governed by the SPÖ. The black party wants to submit an explosive urgent motion to the municipal council on Monday: Anyone receiving social benefits in the provincial capital should in future have to spit in their hands for the benefit of the general public. In plain language: compulsory work for welfare recipients and asylum seekers.

Integration into the labor market and society
"The social safety net is tightly woven," says Florian Krumböck, head of the ÖVP party in the town hall. That is important. But so is the goal of getting people back into the job market or integrating them into society. This is precisely what the obligation to do community service is intended to achieve. His parliamentary group colleague Alexander Tallmeier: "Illness, disability or caring responsibilities naturally exempt people from the obligation to work."

Submitting the motion: Alexander Tallmeier (left) and Florian Krumböck(Bild: VP St. Pölten)

Almost 2,300 people affected in the state capital
How many people in the provincial capital would be affected by this regulation? According to Statistics Austria, around 1600 people in St. Pölten received social welfare benefits last year, with just under 720 people receiving basic benefits. For Tallmeier, one thing is certain: "We have to look at those who finance this system. Therefore, those who rely on the community should also give something back to the community."