Pilot project

Own asylum payment card cost 18,400 euros

The Upper Austrian benefits-in-kind card is a pilot project.

(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger/Daniel Scharinger)

Since summer 2024, refugees in Upper Austria have no longer been given cash. Instead, they will receive a so-called benefit-in-kind card. 680 people are currently registered in the pilot project, 1600 asylum seekers are not yet affected. In a parliamentary question, the SPÖ wanted to find out the details from the responsible ÖVP provincial councillor. 

It was intended as a model for the whole of Austria - but the federal government recently opted for a different provider of the benefits-in-kind card for asylum seekers.

Upper Austria has been rolling out the pilot project since July 2024: Refugees are to receive monetary assistance on a debit card instead of cash. This is intended to prevent abuse.

The SPÖ has questioned the system in the provincial parliament, and now the answer to the question has been provided by the responsible provincial councillor Christian Dörfel (ÖVP). According to this, 680 payment cards are currently active, 1600 asylum seekers do not (yet) have a card.

No additional personnel costs
The costs for the project remain within manageable limits: According to Dörfel, they amount to 18,453.72 euros so far.

The changeover to the nationwide system mentioned at the beginning should not incur any additional costs, according to the response to the inquiry in the Social Affairs Department. Nor has any additional staffing been required since the cards were introduced.