First Large Family with Twelve Children Receives Vienna Social Assistance
Following a similar case in the spring – when a Syrian family with eleven children received more than 9,000 euros in social welfare – this current case is also sparking political debates and criticism of the system.
Controversial Social Welfare in Vienna: Fixed Amount per Child
Official details about the identity, origin, or living situation of the affected family with twelve children were not disclosed. The case exemplifies a growing group in the social system: families with five or more children. While the total number of minimum security recipients in Vienna has recently decreased slightly to 135,783 people compared to the previous year (down by around 3,000), the number of large families receiving social welfare is increasing. Since the spring, 18 more families have become eligible for benefits. According to the report, the eleven largest households have a total of 117 children.
Criticism is mainly directed at the Vienna model of social welfare. In the federal capital, families receive a fixed amount of 326.44 euros in minimum security per child – regardless of the number of children. Additionally, there are family allowances, rent subsidies, and other support services. This can result in a considerable total sum for large families. In other federal states, such as Lower Austria, the amounts are staggered or lower, leading to differences in the level of benefits.
Social law also considers sibling scaling: it increases allowances for multiple children to promote educational and life opportunities regardless of the parents' income. This principle is widely recognized but repeatedly causes tensions in public discussions when individual cases are highlighted.
Sharp Criticism from FPÖ
FPÖ General Secretary Michael Schnedlitz commented on the latest figures from Vienna's social welfare as an "impressive achievement in the area of poverty migration." The case is the "logical culmination of a policy that systematically destroys any incentive to work. Here, not only the Vienna asylum industry is criticized, but also the black-red-pink loser traffic light, which is either incapable or unwilling to protect our social system." The current system makes immigration the "most lucrative source of income."
Schnedlitz also found the government's approach, which plans to "evaluate" the problem until 2027, to be incredible. Once again, an "immediate stop to immigration into the social hammock" is demanded.
Criticism also came from Vienna's FPÖ leader Dominik Nepp: The SPÖ of Mayor Michael Ludwig is making Vienna "more and more a magnet for foreign large families," he said.
(Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.