“In addition to rising costs for energy and food, it is above all the sharp rise in housing costs that are a burden for many people,” he said after a meeting with representatives of the poverty conference on the occasion of the 13th poverty conference, which was held from May 23rd to 25th in St. Virgil /Salzburg is held.
Van der Bellen received a delegation from the conference on Wednesday morning to discuss measures and strategies to combat rising poverty in Austria. In addition to the socio-economist Clara Moder, the economist Christine Mayrhuber, the sociologist Carmen Bayer, the minimum pensioner Christine Sallinger and social expert Martin Schenk also came to the Hofburg.
The President’s Office then told the APA that poor people are those who cannot finance their everyday life and cannot participate in social life – this affects more and more people. The official income poverty threshold is currently 1,328 euros – in Austria around 300,000 people have no more than 600 euros a month at their disposal.
Those at risk of poverty “must be supported by politicians”
“In addition to rising costs for energy and food, it is above all the sharp rise in housing costs that are a burden for many people,” said Van der Bellen in a statement to APA. “Particularly at risk of poverty are single parents and children, the unemployed and people with chronic illnesses. We must not overlook these groups,” said the. “These people must be specifically supported by politicians.”
Empirical studies and the experience of social organizations would show how important it is to have good unemployment benefits that secure a livelihood – and how massively cramped living conditions affect children’s education and health. It is also evident what destructive consequences poor social assistance has, “how strongly depression and loneliness are linked to existential fear”.
“We have a good social network in Austria, which saved many people from sliding into poverty during the pandemic,” said Van der Bellen. “It is all the more important that politicians take a close look at this likely longer phase of high inflation, which is mainly due to the war, and tighten the social network where people are particularly at risk of poverty.”
He thanked the many helpers, self-help groups and social initiatives at the poverty conference “for their commitment to less poverty” – especially now at the meeting in Salzburg under the motto “It’s burning. Fight poverty, save the climate”.
Source: Nachrichten
