A lively debate is continuing in Austria on the possible abolition of the income threshold to gain access to child benefits, currently in force. The chairwoman of the association of Catholic families in Styria, Sissi Potzinger, has also declared her support for a complete abolition of the income threshold. She says “families must be free to choose how much they are willing to devote themselves directly to their children”. “With a view to inter-generational equilibrium – says Potzinger – child benefits ought to exist for young families in an unconditional way, in exactly the same way as pensioners have a right to a state pension irrespective of income threshold”. “The decision on the division and intensity of professional work and family work must remain a private question and not be controlled by state mechanisms”, she adds. “Freedom of choice, however, can only be realized if the government opts for a clear signal and for a financial effort on behalf of future generations in our country”. The extra 300 million euros needed to this end thus represent, according to Potzinger “the best possible investment for the future”.
