The annual report on Vienna’s minimum income for 2023 is now available and the number of recipients last year was 142,001. That is 7,698 more people than in the previous year.
City Councilor for Social Affairs Peter Hacker explains: “Despite the exorbitant inflation in recent years, the minimum security ratio has remained stable at around 7 percent since 2019. On the one hand, this is good news because it means that our measures have prevented an increase in poverty in Vienna. On the other hand, it is also a mandate to do everything we can to get these people into the job market as quickly as possible so that they and their families can get out of social welfare in the long term. Nevertheless, one thing remains clear in Vienna: We don’t leave anyone behind!”
Head of the Social, Welfare and Health Law Department (MA 40) of the City of Vienna, Agnes Berlakovich adds: “The city’s growth also brings with it growing social challenges. It is our job to address these with appropriate measures and to ensure that all citizens receive the necessary support to ensure social security and equal opportunities in Vienna.”
Vienna’s population is growing rapidly. Minimum security ratio unchanged since 2019.
The population in Vienna on January 1, 2024 was exactly 2,005,760 people, which corresponds to an increase of +23,663 people compared to the previous year. This is the second largest population increase in the past five years. Nevertheless, the minimum security quota – the proportion of those receiving minimum security in the total population – remains the same in Vienna at seven percent. This value has remained unchanged since 2019.
44 percent of recipients are registered with the AMS for placement.
Around 62,500 minimum security recipients are available for the labor market. This means that you are currently registered with the AMS and the AMS is placing you into the job market. These are, for example, participants in youth college, in language courses, in qualification courses, in catching up on school qualifications and in further training. Conversely, this means that around 79,500 (56%) of those receiving minimum income are not available for the labor market. Of these, 52 percent (41,340 people) are of toddler or preschool age or are students. The remainder have already reached statutory retirement age (18%), are permanently unable to work (11%) or are not available to the labor market due to caring responsibilities or the like (19%).
35 percent of all recipients are children and minors.
In 2023, 48,999 minors will live in families that receive the minimum income. That is 4.3 percent more than in the previous year (+2,010 people). The largest proportion of recipients are minors up to the age of 14. Of the 48,999 minors, 40,353 are in the 0 to 14 year old age group, meaning 82 percent of the children are of preschool age or are of school age.
More and more employed people are dependent on the minimum income.
Compared to the previous year, the number of people with earned income rose again, from 11,429 to 12,161 people. Although the increase of 6.4 percent is half as much as in the previous year – in 2022 it was 13.5 percent – the development still shows that more and more employed people are dependent on the minimum income. In 2023, there will be 7,956 employed men and 4,205 employed women who will top up their earned income with minimum income benefits.
Three quarters of the needy communities are dependent on the minimum income despite their income.
Despite other incomes, 74 percent of communities in need of minimum income are dependent on support. This means that 74 percent (58,935 communities of need) have a source of income, but the amount of income is so low that the income has to be supplemented by minimum income benefits in order to achieve the statutory minimum standard of the community of needs.
Of the 12,485 young adults in Vienna’s minimum income, 73 percent receive an income, 21 percent receive an income from work, 14 percent receive other income (e.g. childcare allowance) and 27 percent have no income at all. 38 percent of young adults receiving minimum income receive an AMS benefit. Compared to the previous year, the number of young recipients with AMS income increased by 15.4 percent (from 4,058 to 4,683 people). The reason for this is that, on the one hand, the AMS benefits are below the legally defined subsistence level and, on the other hand, these AMS benefits are not valorized, in contrast to the minimum income. 21 percent of young adults who receive minimum income have earned income. They are the second largest group of young adults with income. Compared to the previous year, an increase of 6 percent was observed in this group (from 2,445 to 2,591 people).
Multiple crises will also require quick help in 2023 beyond the Vienna minimum security.
Inflation and the sharp rise in energy and housing costs have placed a heavy burden on the Viennese population since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. In response, the City of Vienna, as in the previous year, has taken a variety of measures to ensure quick and uncomplicated help. Many of these services were ordered automatically or processed quickly via online applications. In 2023, the following measures were implemented to support the people of Vienna: Vienna Energy Support Plus, Vienna Energy Bonus 23, Vienna Housing Security Plus, Vienna Housing Bonus 23 and the housing support allowance. A total of 1.6 million people were supported in combating the effects of inflation.
Service
All reports as well as the annual report on Vienna’s minimum income for 2023 are online in full version from calendar week 41 at this link: https://www.wien.gv.at/kontakte/ma40/downloads.html