Organizations involved in aid work express concern about the social media platform
In a joint call to action, three leading Austrian aid organizations - Caritas, Diakonie, and Volkshilfe - have urged the current government to implement comprehensive social welfare reforms. The aim is to prevent the emergence of new poverty, particularly among children, as part of a proposed reform of social assistance.
Anna Parr, general secretary of Caritas, expressed her concern that any reform must not lead to new poverty. She also criticized the potential reduction in family allowance, stating it as a "direct attack on the subsistence minimum of children and young people."
Diakonie director Anna-Katharina Moser echoed Parr's sentiments, arguing that the budget cannot be balanced with cuts in social benefits. She further clarified that social assistance sets maximums and is "open-ended downwards," implying its vulnerability to cuts.
Erich Fenninger of Volkshilfe emphasized the need for a separate child basic security. He argued that poverty should be fought, especially among children, and warned of the dehumanization of people in Austria due to political debates.
The aid organizations have directed their demands primarily at the federal government, seeking a nationwide uniform social assistance and performance-oriented regulation with minimum standards. However, they have not specified any particular measures they support or oppose.
The Vienna minimum security, a specific measure related to social assistance, remains a topic the aid organizations have not openly commented on. The proportion of social assistance in public political debate, according to Diakonie director Anna-Katharina Moser, is overestimated.
The aid organizations are not currently directly involved in political debate, but their stance on political debate is one of non-involvement at the moment. Fenninger did express concern about the dehumanization of people in Austria due to political debates, indicating a broader societal concern.
The call for reform comes as the Austrian government, a coalition of ÖVP, SPÖ, and NEOS, faces pressure to address social issues and ensure minimum standards for those affected by social assistance. As the debate continues, the aid organizations will continue to advocate for comprehensive reform to prevent new poverty in Austria.
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