Planned measures in the pension area, the situation on the labor market, the educational leave new and social assistance – these were some of the topics that were discussed today in pronunciation about current questions in the National Council’s Social Council. Minister of Social Affairs Korinna Schumann confirmed the government’s project to introduce a “partial board”. However, this should not replace the partial retirement, rather partial board and partial retirement should be interwoven in a system. In addition, the minister confirmed that the additional service for unemployment benefits should be largely abolished.
Schumann has not yet been able to name any details with regard to the desired standardization of social assistance and on the security of the child. Here you are “only at the beginning of the trip”, she asked the MPs for patience. It also requires cooperation with the countries. In any case, the aim is to “bring social welfare educators:” to bring “to AMS”. Pass benefits should play an important role in basic child protection.
There could be a solution for those people in whom an educational leave was interrupted by pregnancy and the training that has started could not continue. That was “in assessment,” informed Schumann FPÖ MP Andrea Michaela Schartel.
It was the first today Work session of the National Council’s Social Committee according to the formation of the new federal government. Josef Muchitsch is the new and old committee chairman: he asked the parties for “good cooperation”.
Schumann: “Kluge” is needed savings
At the beginning of her explanations, Schumann said that it was “important in times like this”. The difficult economic situation is an enormous challenge for the budget. In order to “get out of the valley again”, it was important to “act very smartly”. The necessary savings have to be designed so that they do not become a huge problem for people.
In this sense, Schumann confessed on the one hand to increase the health insurance contributions for pensioners: inside, but at the same time announced cushioning measures. It is planned not to adapt the prescription fee to inflation next year and gradually reduce the recipe duty cover from 2 % to 1.5 % of the income. In addition, drugs that do not fall under the prescription fee should also be included from the lid. This will be relieved of older people, people with disabilities and single parents: inside who need many medication for their children, she emphasized.
No increase in the legal retirement age
Schumann also assured that the government would not intervene in the pension account and that retirement age would not be up to 67 years. The long -term insured regulation also remains, she said.
In order to increase the de facto pension junction, Schumann relies, among other things, to introduce a partial board. “I take my pension performance for two days, I still work for three days,” she illustrated the project, which she should be implemented on January 1, 2026. At the same time, the partial retirement is not abolished, but interwoven into a system with the new partial board.
“Strong focus” labor market
According to Schumann, the government wants to put a “strong focus” on the job market. In this context, she referred to the specialist strategy presented at today’s government exam. According to her, her focus is on qualification and further education that people want to achieve people with low qualifications in particular. Not everything could go “through the AMS rail”, said the minister, and companies should also make a contribution. One of the focus of the strategy will be in the area of nursing professions.
According to Schumann, the new form of educational leave will also be aimed primarily at low -qualified people. However, study qualifications and other higher -quality training should also be made possible. Schumann includes an important role in the proposed preliminary discussion: In this it should be clarified whether the desired training or further education has a positive effect for the labor market. It will also no longer be possible to directly join educational leave directly to a parental leave. The “care problem”, which is still partly available, cannot be solved through the educational leave, Schumann noted. As for the AMS retrospective claims, the minister said that she was all suffering that is affected, but you have to stick to rules.
No more employment in the case of unemployment benefit
When asked by ÖVP MP Tanja Graf, Schumann confirmed that in the future it should only be possible in exceptional cases to pursue a minor employment in parallel to the purchase of unemployment benefit. According to Graf, it has been shown that an additional earnings have a negative impact on reintegration into the labor market, and in some cases it “became a business model”. Anyone who has been employed slightly in addition to their actual job should be able to continue this employment, according to Schumann, if they become unemployed. There should also be exceptions for older unemployed people – limited to half a year – and for older long -term unemployed. At the same time, Schumann announced a freezing of the minor limit next year.
When asked about the “hackler regulation” by FPÖ MP Manuel Pfeifer, the SPÖ of which has repeatedly demanded again and again in recent years, Schumann referred to the budgetary situation. You have to do everything to ensure that the budgetary emergency is removed, she said.
Compensation stax fund with 100 million ꞓ in the minus
“Great concern” Schumann prepares the hole mentioned by Ralph Schallmeiner (Greens) in the compensation stax fund, from which in particular funding measures are financed for the employment of people with disabilities. Here she took over “a difficult heritage”, she emphasized. The fund is in the minus at 100 million ꞓ. This is also related to the large bankruptcies, which would lack income. In any case, Schumann considers it important to force the professional participation of people with disabilities.
Schumann was pleased with committee chairman Josef Muchitsch (SPÖ) that the topic of “working outdoors” had been included in the government program. It was in the process of negotiating the topic at the social partner level, she reported. Muchitsch had previously meant that it would need improvements for people who would have to work under the most difficult weather conditions.
Basic child protection and care
According to Schumann, the basic child protection is said to help bring children out of the poverty trap. This is “well put on”, but still has to be finished, she emphasized. More benefits are planned.
On the subject of care, Schumann noticed that Austria had “an excellent care system”. However, it is necessary to standardize between the federal states. In addition, there are interface problems, for example when transitioning between care and hospital. It also needs more digitization in nursing management, for example to reduce the bureaucracy effort in mobile care. For example, Schumann can imagine integrating data from care into the electronic health file ELGA. For relatives, Schumann strives for better advice across national borders. The goal is a one-stop shop, even if that is not easy to achieve.
NEOS concerned about further increase in pension expenses
Michael Hammer (ÖVP) recalled that the abolition of educational leave in the current form was also agreed with the FPÖ and was thus reported to Brussels. In this sense, he was surprised by a speech by FPÖ MP Lisa Schuch-Gubik. This had to know from Minister of Social Affairs Schumann whether the abolition of educational leave did not make it difficult for young mothers to re -enter.
NEOS MP Johannes Gasser emphasized the need to increase the factual retirement age and was concerned that the federal pension expenditure had increased significantly in the first months of 2025. According to him, the plus in statutory pension insurance was 8 % and at Beamt: 5.6 % inside. Gasser also considers a reform of rehabilitation allowance to be offered after the last reform of the disability pension was not the extent to be expected. In order to reduce bureaucracy, he also proposes to differentiate more in the wage and social dumping law. It does not need the same rules for construction and middle management, he said. His faction colleague Fiona Fiedler misses a involvement of people with disabilities into the qualification offensive.
Ralph Schallmeiner (Greens) pointed out that nurses would not benefit from admission to the heavy work pension as long as 45 years of insurance were necessary. (Conclusion of social committee) GS