The gross domestic product will be 700 million euros higher in 2025 due to this increase. “The family bonus is a milestone,” said Family Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) at a joint press conference with EcoAustria director Monika Köppl-Turyna.
The Family Bonus Plus has already given tax relief to around 950,000 families and around 1.6 million children amounting to 1.5 billion euros. In addition to increasing the family bonus, the federal government is also increasing the additional child allowance by 200 euros to 450 euros per child. With the higher family bonus and the additional child amount, a total of 600 million euros more per year will be achieved, from which 1.75 million children will benefit, Raab calculated. “I am deeply convinced that we have taken a really big and important step in relieving the burden on the people in Austria,” said the Minister.
The family minister again rejects the accusation that Sebastian Kurz, as foreign minister in 2016, tried to prevent the expansion of the afternoon care in order to screw up the success of Vice Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner (ÖVP). “This accusation is absolutely baseless and cannot be proven by facts. Various aspects are deliberately mixed up here and targeted untruths are spread,” said Raab. At that time, the debate was not about expanding childcare places, but about afternoon childcare at schools. “The SPÖ wanted to introduce all-day school and we were against it.” A total of 1.6 billion euros have been made available for day care since 2017.
Video: The press conference to take a look
