Savings Package: The Education Bonus Will Also Be Cut

This was previously distributed to social assistance recipients who participate in longer training programs of the AMS. Now, the support, which was only introduced in 2024, will be abolished without replacement, according to the budget accompanying law.

Similar to recipients of unemployment benefits and emergency assistance, affected individuals received, in addition to the existing AMS allowance of currently around 2.6 euros per day, a training allowance of 150 or 300 euros per month if they participated in longer training and further education programs of the labor market service.

Due to the complexity in execution, organizational duplications have arisen at the interface with the AMS, which is the reason for the abolition. The provision that the AMS training allowance is not to be credited against social assistance is also eliminated.

Statistics Austria and Spanish Riding School Receive More Money

Also previously rather in the background was the fact that some institutions might even be pleased with the budget creation, such as Statistics Austria. According to the draft law, the annual lump sum is to be increased by 13 million to 69.4 million from the coming year. At the Spanish Riding School, the annual basic compensation will be increased from 2.5 to 4.5 million.

More leeway is created for the municipalities. They should be able to access the remaining funds from the municipal investment laws of the years 2020, 2023, and 2025 without mandatory co-financing. For this purpose, the previous earmarked grants are converted into financial allocations. Municipalities are also allowed to decide for themselves which investments they use the funds for.

Savings Package: Funding for "Wiener Zeitung" is Drastically Reduced

Very bad news, however, comes from the government for the "Wiener Zeitung", whose basic funding of currently 11.5 million is almost halved. The online medium will receive five million euros less in funding this year and next year. Of this, 2.5 million will be allocated to the "Media Hub Austria", which is responsible, among other things, for the training of journalists.

There are also restrictions for the ORF. The special payment granted since 2024 in the amount of ten million for the maintenance of the Radio Symphony Orchestra and the satellite transmission of the niche channel Sport+ is abolished. As compensation, the ORF will be allowed easier access to the dedication reserve funded by the ORF fee in the years 2027 to 2029, up to an annual maximum amount of 35 million. However, the prerequisite for this is that Sport+ continues to be broadcast via satellite, the information and culture niche channel ORF III is fully maintained, and the Radio Symphony Orchestra is not dissolved.

(APA/Red)

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