Austria

Old Age, Disability, Death

First laws: 1909 (salaried employees) and 1939 (wage earners).
Current laws: 1956 (employees) and 1979 (self-employed).
Type of program: Social insurance system.
Exchange rates: U.S.$1.00 equals 11.96 schillings.
One euro equals 13.76 schillings.

Coverage

Wage earners and salaried employees (separate systems with essentially identical provisions) earning 3,740 schillings or more a month, and apprentices. Special systems for miners, notaries, public employees, and self-employed in trade, industry and agriculture.

Source of Funds

Insured person: 10.25% of earnings.
Employer: 12.55% of payroll.
Government: Any deficits; also cost of nursing care insurance and income-tested allowance.
Maximum earnings for contribution and benefit purposes: 42,600 schillings a month. Automatic annual adjustment for changes in national average covered earnings.

Qualifying Conditions

Old-age pension: Age 65 (men) or 60 (women). 180 months of insurance coverage in the last 30 years or 180 months of contributions. Early pension payable at age 60 (men) or 55 (women) after 1 year of sickness or unemployment, or 35 years of insurance. Early pension suspended if earnings above 3,899 schillings a month.
Reciprocity or international agreement required for payments abroad beyond 2 months except in member states of the European Union.
Disability pension: Loss of 50% of normal earning capacity and 60 months of contribution in the last 10 years or 180 months of contributions in total.
Survivor pension: Insured met disability pension requirements or was pensioner at death.

Old-Age and Disability Benefits

Old-age and disability benefits: 1.83% of average earnings (recorded earnings revalued for national average covered earnings changes) in best 15 years for each of first 30 insurance years, plus 1.675% for each insurance year from 31-45.
Maximum pension, 80% of average covered earnings. Additional supplement of 1.83% of earnings for each year of disability which occurred before age 56, up to a maximum of 60% of earnings.
Reduction for early retirement at age 56 (women) and age 61 (men).
Increase for late retirement.
Child's supplement: 300 schillings for each child under age 18 (27 if student, no limit if disabled.)
Income-tested allowance: Amount raising pension to 8,112 schillings a month for individual, 11,574 schillings for couple, plus 864 schillings per child.
Schedule of payments: 14 payments a year.
Adjustment: Automatic annual adjustment of benefits for changes in national average covered earnings.
Care benefit: Persons in need of personal care may be entitled to a monthly benefit varying from 2,000 schillings to 21,074 schillings (in 7 steps) depending on the amount of care required. The benefit is paid 12 times per year and adjusted annually.

Survivor Benefits

Survivor pension: Widow or widower, 40-60% of basic pension of insured. Rates under 60% may be increased, depending on the total income of the beneficiary.
Orphans: 24% of basic pension of insured, or 36% if full orphan, for each orphan under age 18 (27 if student, no limit if disabled).
Income-tested allowance: Amount raising survivor pension to 8,112 schillings a month , orphan's pension to 3,029 schillings, or full orphan's pension to 4,549 schillings; after age 24, orphan to 5,383 schillings and full orphan to 8,112 schillings a month.
Schedule of payments: 14 payments a year.
Adjustment: Automatic annual adjustment of benefits for changes in national average covered earnings.
Care benefit payable under the same circumstances as for the insured.

Administrative Organization

Federal Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs, general supervision.
Manual Workers' Pension Insurance Institution and Salaried Employees' Pension Insurance Institution, administration of pensions (separate institutions for public employees, railroads, mining, and agricultural and nonagricultural self-employed).
Self-governing agencies, managed by elected representatives of insured persons and employers.
Sickness funds collect contributions, transmit them to pension insurance institutions, and maintain contribution records for individual workers.
Special funds to equalize surpluses and deficits between various systems.

Sickness and Maternity

First law: 1888.
Current laws: 1955 (employees), 1960 (maternity), 1974 (cash benefits for wage earners) and 1979 (self-employed).
Type of program: Social insurance system. Cash and medical benefits.

Coverage

Employed persons earning 3,899 schillings or more a month, self- employed (except in agriculture), apprentices, and pensioners.
Special systems for public and railway employees and agricultural self-employed. Voluntary affiliation for noncovered residents.

Source of Funds

Insured person: Wage earners, 3.95% of wages; salaried employees, 3.4% of salary; pensioners, 3.75% of pension.
Employer: Wage earners, 3.95% of payroll (plus 2.1% to equalization fund for cash benefits); salaried employees, 3.4%.
Government: 70% of cash maternity benefits. Pension insurance institutions make contributions for medical insurance of pensioners equal to 20.3% of the collected sickness insurance contributions.
Maximum earnings for contribution and benefit purposes: 42,600 schillings a month. Automatic annual adjustment for changes in national average covered earnings.

Qualifying Conditions

Sickness and maternity benefits: Currently in covered employment (funds may require 6 months of contribution in last year for optional benefits only).

Sickness and Maternity Benefits

Sickness benefit: Employer pays 100% of covered earnings for first 4-10 weeks for wage earners and 6-12 weeks (plus 4 additional weeks at 50%) for salaried employees, according to worker's length of service in establishment. Thereafter, sickness funds pay 50% (60% after 6 weeks) of covered earnings (half of sickness benefit to those receiving 50% from employer).
Funds also pay up to 10% of earnings for spouse and 5% per child up to a maximum of 75% of covered earnings. Duration: 52 weeks (extended to 78 weeks in special cases).
Employers are reimbursed by insurance funds for all benefits paid to wage earners.
Maternity benefit: 100% of earnings for 8 weeks before and 8 weeks after confinement (12 to 16 weeks after confinement in special cases).

Workers' Medical Benefits

Medical benefits: Service benefits ordinarily provided by doctors, hospitals, and druggists under contract with and paid directly by sickness funds; some funds operate own clinics or hospitals. Includes medical (including psychotherapy), maternity, and dental care, hospitalization, medicines, appliances, home nursing, preventive examinations, and transportation.
Patients pay 44 schillings per prescription and up to 20% of dental care cost. Cost sharing, at least 281 schillings, for appliances.
Exceptions for patients of limited means.
Duration: No limit.

Dependents' Medical Benefits

Medical benefits for dependents: Same as for insured, but with 10% cost-sharing (except for maternity) during first 4 weeks of hospitalization. Wife receives same maternity care as insured woman.

Administrative Organization

Federal Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs, general supervision.
Nine district and 10 establishment sickness funds, administration of contributions and benefits.
Special funds for railroads, mining, public employees, and agricultural and nonagricultural self-employed.
Self-governing agencies, managed by elected representatives of insured persons and employers.

Work Injury

First law: 1887.
Current law: 1955.
Type of program: Social insurance system.

Coverage

Employed persons, self-employed, apprentices, and students.
Special system for public employees.

Source of Funds

Insured person: None (except flat annual amounts payable for self-employed).
Employer: 1.4% of payroll.
Government: None.
Family Allowances Equalization Fund reimburses Work Injury Funds for accident insurance of students.
Maximum earnings for contribution and benefit purposes: 42,600 schillings a month. Automatic annual adjustment for changes in national average covered earnings.

Qualifying Conditions

Work-injury benefits: No minimum qualifying period.

Temporary Disability Benefits

Temporary disability benefit: Same as sickness benefit, above.
Employer pays 100% of earnings for at least 8 weeks.

Permanent Disability Benefits

Permanent disability pension: 66-2/3% of average earnings during last year, plus supplement of 20% of total disability pension if totally disabled.
Child's supplement: 10% of pension for each child under 18 (27 if student, no limit if disabled). Maximum, 1,050 schillings for each child.
Care benefits: See old-age and disability benefits, above.
Partial disability: Percentage of full pension corresponding to loss of earning capacity (converted to lump sum if below 25% of full pension).
Schedule of payments: 14 payments a year.
Adjustment: Annual adjustment for changes in national average covered earnings.

Workers' Medical Benefits

Medical benefits: Comprehensive care, including appliances and rehabilitation (first 4 weeks provided under sickness insurance).
Allowances for training, relocation, etc.

Survivor Benefits

Survivor pension: 40% of earnings of insured, if age 60 or disabled; otherwise, 20% of earnings, payable to widow or to dependent disabled widower.
Orphans: 20% of earnings for each orphan, or 30% if full orphan under age 18 (27 if student, no limit if disabled).
Other survivors (if above pensions below maximum): Dependent parents, grandparents, brothers, and sisters receive 20% of earnings.
Maximum survivor pensions: 80% of earnings.
Schedule of payments: 14 per year.
Adjustment: Annual adjustment for changes in national average covered earnings.
Funeral grant: 1/15 of annual earnings of insured; minimum, 11,830 schillings.

Administrative Organization

Federal Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs, general supervision.
General Accident Insurance Institution, administration of long-term benefits (separate institution for railway employees, public employees, agricultural and nonagricultural self-employed).
Sickness funds collect contributions and transmit them to accident insurance institutions. Sickness funds also provide temporary disability benefits and first 4 weeks of medical care.

Unemployment

First law: 1920.
Current law: 1977.
Type of program: Compulsory insurance system.

Coverage

Employed persons earning 3,899 schillings or more a month, and apprentices. Exclusions: Public employees.
Special system for construction workers.

Source of Funds

Insured person: 3% of earnings.
Employer: 3% of payroll.
Government: Any deficit and cost of emergency assistance.
Maximum earnings for contribution and benefit purposes: 42,600 schillings a month. Automatic annual adjustment for changes in national average covered earnings.

Qualifying Conditions

Unemployment benefit: 26 weeks of contribution in last 12 months; or 52 weeks in last 24 months if first claim (reference period extended for sickness, unemployment, noninsured employment, etc.). Registered at employment office; capable of and willing to work. Unemployment not due to voluntary leaving, misconduct, work stoppage, or refusal of suitable offer (disqualification usually 4 weeks).

Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment benefit: About 40% to 50% of earnings, varying inversely according to 120 wage classes. Minimum benefit: 56.20 schillings; maximum benefit, 465.40 schillings a day.
Dependents' supplements: 21.70 schillings a day for each dependent.
Maximum, 80% of earnings. Payable for up to 20 weeks (30 weeks if 156 weeks' coverage in last 5 years). In special cases, available for up to 52 weeks.
Emergency assistance payable to needy unemployed citizens when insurance benefits exhausted: 92% to 95% of unemployment benefit, according to number of dependents.

Administrative Organization

Federal Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs, administration of benefits. Regional employment offices pay benefits and offer job seeking services.
Sickness funds collect contributions with those for other social insurance programs.

Family Allowances

First law: 1948.
Current law: 1967.
Type of program: Universal system.

Coverage

Permanent residents with 1 or more children. (Aliens eligible if employed for more than 3 months or resident for at least 5 consecutive years.)

Source of Funds

Insured person: None. Agricultural self-employed: Portion of land tax.
Employer: 4.5% of payroll.
Government: Grants by municipalities, according to number of inhabitants. States pay 24 schillings a year for each inhabitant.
Portion of Federal income tax receipts transferred to Family Allowances Equalization Fund.

Qualifying Conditions

Family allowances: Child must be under age 19; age 18 or student with taxable income less than 3,899 schillings a month, or during vocational training with taxable income of less than 3,899 shillings a month; no limit if disabled.

Family Allowance Benefits

Family allowances: 1,300 schillings a month for each child up to age 10, thereafter 1,550 schillings a month until age 19, then 1,850 schillings; 1,650 schillings for a permanently disabled child.
Birth grant: 2,000 schillings, payable in installments.

Administrative Organization

Federal Ministry of Environment, Youth and Family, administration of program through Family Allowances Equalization Fund attached to Ministry.
Employers ( social insurance institutions or finance offices) pay allowances directly to recipients and settle surplus or deficit of contributions due with equalization fund.