Child care allowance
The child care allowance is part of the Austrian family support program. It serves as financial support from the state for the parent who temporarily gives up his professional activity to bring up the child.
The child care allowance is not to be confused with the family allowance , which is paid regardless of income for every child up to their working life (up to 25 years of age), or the maternity allowance , which is paid in the period eight weeks before the expected date of birth until eight weeks after the birth to compensate for the mother's lost income.
history
From 1960 to the end of 1990 there was parental leave allowance in Austria . It was intended as a transfer payment for young mothers who did not want to return to work as soon as possible after giving birth.
On January 1, 2002, the parental leave allowance was replaced by the child care allowance. The main difference was that mothers no longer had to have been employed before giving birth. Farmers, schoolgirls, self-employed, students and housewives were thus also entitled to receive benefits.
Another change took place in 2008. In order to improve the compatibility of family and work, the parents could choose whether they wanted to receive a higher amount for 18 months, a medium amount for 24 months or a low amount for 36 months.
As of March 1, 2017, the Child Care Act was made more flexible. For all children born after this, the parents have the choice between the two main variants of a lump sum and an income-related payment, each with several sub-variants.
scope
requirements
The following requirements must be met in order to receive childcare allowance:
- The child and the parent making the application live in the same household.
- The mother-child pass examinations were carried out (five examinations of the mother during pregnancy and five examinations of the child after birth).
- The applicant receives the family allowance.
- In the case of separated parents, the applicant has the right of custody.
- The applicant and the child live in Austria.
- The applicant and the child are legally resident in Austria (Austrian citizens, EU citizens, third-country nationals with a settlement permit, persons entitled to asylum)
- The additional income limit (depending on the variant chosen) is not exceeded.
Duration
The child care allowance is due from the birth of the child. The maximum duration depends on the variant chosen. The receipt of childcare allowance is suspended if maternity allowance is being received or while the employer continues to pay wages. In these cases there is no extension.
Services
For children born after March 1, 2017, parents can choose one of two main options, a flat-rate child care allowance or an income-related child care allowance.
Child care allowance account (flat-rate child care allowance)
An equal total amount is available to all eligible parents. This is EUR 12,366.20 for one parent or EUR 15,449.28 if both parents share the benefit (as of 2019):
| Who claims | Total amount | Subscription period | Daily rate (depending on the duration) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 parent | 12,366.20 euros | of 365 ...
up to 851 days |
maximum of 33.88 euros
minimum 14.53 euros |
| 2 parents | 15,449.28 euros | of 465 ...
up to 1,063 days |
maximum of 33.88 euros
minimum 14.53 euros |
Remarks:
- If both parents receive childcare allowance, each partner must pay at least 20% of the duration of the allowance.
- The duration can be freely selected from the period. The daily rate results from the selected duration: total amount broken by the duration of the payment.
- Each selected period corresponds to a variant. The variant can only be changed once.
Income-related childcare allowance
For the variant of the income-related childcare allowance, the following additional requirements apply:
- In the 182 calendar days before the beginning of the absolute prohibition of employment for the expectant mother or, for fathers, 186 calendar days immediately before the child's birth, continuous gainful employment must have been carried out in Austria.
- No unemployment insurance benefit may have been received during this period.
- A break in employment for up to 14 days or due to illness is irrelevant.
| Who claims | amount | Maximum subscription period |
|---|---|---|
| 1 parent | 80 percent of the last income, but a maximum of 66 euros per day | 365 days |
| 2 parents | 80 percent of the last income, but a maximum of 66 euros per day | 426 days |
Annotation:
- If the entitlement is shared, each parent must apply for at least 61 consecutive days.
Partnership bonus
For both variants there is a bonus of 500 euros per partner, if the duration of the subscription is at least 40:60.
Additional earnings
height
With the lump-sum childcare allowance, the individual additional earnings limit is 60% of the last earnings, the absolute additional earnings limit is 16,200 euros.
With the income-related childcare model, the additional income limit is 6,800 euros (as of 2019).
To calculate the income, all income that is subject to wage and income tax is used. Family allowances, maintenance, childcare allowance, severance payments and special payments are not taken into account.
Loop-in regulation
Until the addition of Section 8a KBGG, if the statutory additional income limit was exceeded, no childcare allowance was due or the entire amount of the childcare allowance had to be repaid. The KBGG hardship regulation contained exceptions on the one hand for the case of a marginal, unforeseeable exceeding of the additional income limit, on the other hand for the inequity of a reclaim. According to the so-called introduction regulation of § 8a KBGG, the entire childcare allowance received in the relevant calendar year in which it was exceeded is no longer repaid, but the due or paid childcare allowance is only reduced by the amount that exceeds the additional income limit. According to the explanations of the government bill, the insertion of § 8a KBGG should "lead to a reduction in the reimbursement amounts and therefore to financial improvements for the parents" and was confirmed as constitutional by a decision of the Constitutional Court of November 27, 2018.
Request
The childcare allowance must be applied for. The application must be submitted to the responsible health insurance provider. The variant must be selected when applying.
Web links
- Child care allowance for births from March 1, 2017 - overview of the systems
- Chamber of Labor, childcare allowance
- jusline, child care allowance, §49
Individual evidence
- ↑ JUSLINE, in force Childcare Benefit Act. Retrieved June 8, 2019 .
- ↑ fidas tax advice, changes in childcare allowance from 2008. Accessed on June 8, 2019 .
- ↑ Federal Ministry for Digitization and Business Location, childcare allowance. Retrieved June 8, 2019 .
- ↑ JUSLINE, Childcare Benefit Act §2 eligibility. Retrieved June 8, 2019 .
- ↑ a b Federal Ministry for Digitization, childcare allowance, overview of the systems. Retrieved June 8, 2019 .
- ↑ Chamber of Labor, childcare allowance. Retrieved June 8, 2019 .
- ↑ Chamber of Labor, childcare allowance, additional earnings limit. Retrieved June 8, 2019 .
- ↑ Federal Law Gazette I 76/2007
- ↑ RV 229 BlgNR 23rd GP, 6th
- ↑ Constitutional Court, decision of November 27, 2018 - G 75 / 2018-9, G 187 / 2018-5
- ↑ Social insurance, application for childcare allowance. Retrieved June 8, 2019 .