No family allowance while you receive basic care, parliament decides
Austria's National Council voted on Wednesday evening to change who can receive family allowance (Familienbeihilfe). People displaced from Ukraine can now receive the allowance without a time limit, but not while they are also receiving basic care (Grundversorgung). The only exception is for families whose child has a severe disability. The change applies retroactively from 1 July.
There is also an easing. Until now, displaced Ukrainians only received family allowance and childcare benefit (Kinderbetreuungsgeld) if they were working or registered with the AMS as job seekers. That requirement has been dropped. According to the parliament's summary of the bill, the same rules apply to people with subsidiary protection, retroactively from 12 June. The government puts the extra cost at 22.8 million euros for 2026 and 23.7 million euros for 2027.
The vote was not unanimous. The ÖVP and NEOS backed the change. The SPÖ voted in favour but warned that families who receive only a small top-up from basic care on top of a low income will now lose family allowance entirely. The Greens voted against because promised protections for hardship cases were not included. The FPÖ voted against because it considers access too easy.
Who is affected: displaced people from Ukraine and people with subsidiary protection who receive basic care, including those who receive it only as a top-up to a low wage. If you receive basic care, expect family allowance to stop, even if you are working. If you are not in basic care, or leave it, you can claim family allowance without proof of work or AMS registration.
What to do: check with your basic care office whether you are still registered as receiving Grundversorgung. If your child has a severe disability, make sure it is officially recorded, because that is the only exception. If you are unsure about your claim, contact your tax office (Finanzamt), which handles family allowance, or a counselling service before changing anything about your support.