Senior Representatives from SPÖ and ÖVP Demand Regress Revisions

In substance, Korosec bases her argument on a point concerning the tax treatment of assets. If the assets themselves are not touched, then the income generated from them must also be counted as part of the assets – this is the logic she advocates. This would reduce the scope for reclaiming care costs.

Specifically, Korosec said verbatim: "Wenn man sagt, das Vermögen wird nicht angetastet, dann gehören natürlich Zinsen, die da dann kommen, zum Vermögen dazu." With this, she is putting forward a proposal in the discussion that could soften the government's existing plans.

Position of the ÖVP Seniors

It is planned that the Ministry of Social Affairs will draw up the new regress regulation. In the talks between the federal government and the Länder, negotiations on the concrete design are already underway. The Länder are affected because part of the care costs is processed through the state budgets.

The cross-party Senior Citizens' Council, in which senior citizens' organizations close to both the SPÖ and the ÖVP are represented, will deal with the issue according to Korosec. Talks with the Länder are planned in order to find a solution that can be supported by as many parties as possible.

Criticism from the SPÖ

Demands for adjustments are also coming from the SPÖ. SPÖ representatives such as Birgit Gerstorfer have already spoken out along similar lines, emphasizing that the burden on affected families must not get out of hand. The SPÖ-affiliated senior citizens' representation sees smaller inheritances and owner-occupied homes particularly at risk under current practice.

Critics of the current plans point to cases in which gift recipients – that is, persons who transferred assets in good time before needing care – would be affected by the reclaim. The senior citizens' representations argue that the planned regulation would unjustifiably include asset returns such as interest from savings books or securities.

What Asset Returns Have to Do with the Regulation

The discussion comes at a phase in which ORF reporting on care and social policy is increasingly taking up questions of financing. The ÖGB has also entered the debate and pointed to the burden on the working population, which often has to pay care costs for relatives.

Further developments now depend on the consultations in the Senior Citizens' Council and the negotiations between the federal government and the Länder. Should Korosec's proposal prevail, interest and other asset returns would be counted entirely toward the protected assets – with corresponding consequences for the amount of regress.

What Happens Next

It also remains open how the Ministry of Social Affairs will respond to the demands. The government has so far stressed that it is striving for a fair and citizen-oriented solution. The senior citizens' representations are counting on their arguments being taken into account in the parliamentary process.