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What you can do if you still haven’t received Austria’s 2023 Klimabonus

While most people received their Austrian Klimabonus payout for 2023 in October, some are still waiting for payment. Here's what you should do if that is your case.

What you can do if you still haven't received Austria's 2023 Klimabonus
A man withdraws money from an ATM. (Photo by PHILIPPE HUGUEN / AFP)

Austria has completed the “in-year payment” wave of the Klimabonus 2023, with the majority of those eligible receiving their payouts of €55 to €220 back in the autumn of last year. However, some are still waiting for their payment despite being eligible. 

This is because, in a few cases, the government cannot determine eligibility until the end of the year. This is why a second payout of the Klimabonus 2023 is scheduled for spring 2024. Anyone who has their primary residence in Austria for at least six months in the year of entitlement receives the payment, which was created to offset the costs of a new CO2 green tax and varies depending on where a person lives. 

READ ALSO: Will Austria increase the Klimabonus payment amount in 2024?

If you have lived in Austria for at least six months in 2023 and still haven’t been paid your Klimabonus 2023, here are the possible reasons why:

  • You have moved to a different address within Austria. The government would then have to wait until the end of the year to establish in which regional category you lived the longest.
  • You moved to Austria in the first six months of the year. In this case, you have not yet satisfied the basic condition for receipt of the Klimabonus by the time of the first entitlement assessment date in July 2023. This is also the case for children born in the first six months of the year – they were not considered “residents” by the time of the cut-off date in July 2023 and will only receive it after a second assessment is made at the end of the year.
  • The recipient of Family Allowance (Familienbeihilfe) has changed. This is relevant because the Klimabonus for a child is paid out to the person who received the Family Allowance for the child for at least six months in 2023. If the Familienbeihilfe payment started only in 2023, then the Klimabonus will be sent only in spring 2023 after the recipient is confirmed.
  • In the first six months of the year, you were detained by order of a court or the authorities or were serving a sentence involving the deprivation of liberty. According to the federal government, people who are arrested or serving such a sentence for more than 183 days do not receive a Klimabonus.

READ ALSO: Klimabonus 2023: Everything we know about Austria’s subsidy payment

If you fall into any of the categories above, you will still receive your Klimabonus 23 payment by spring 2024. By autumn 2024, unless any of those criteria again happen to you, you will also receive a Klimabonus 24 payment.

My case is none of the above, and I still haven’t received the payment. What should I do?

If you are sure you are entitled to it (main residence in Austria for at least six months in 2023 and a legal resident status in the country), you can reach the call centre on 0800 8000 80, Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm. 

My Klimabonus was sent out, but I missed the deadline to pick up my letter from the post office. What should I do?

In some cases, the Klimabonus was sent out to people through a Sodexo voucher that was mailed in secure post. If you were not at home to sign for the delivery, you’d have to take your ID to the post office and pick it up there within the deadline.

If you missed the deadline, it’s still possible to collect your Klimabonus. The government has released a contact form for those cases. If you want to receive your next payment straight to your bank account HERE is how you can do it.

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COST OF LIVING

Austria to hike amount to be paid out for 2024 ‘Klimabonus’ payment

Austrian authorities will soon start sending out the so-called Klimabonus payment, and it will be a higher amount than last year.

Austria to hike amount to be paid out for 2024 'Klimabonus' payment

The Klimabonus or climate bonus is a part of Austria’s eco-social tax reform, a set of measures to promote climate protection.

One such action includes a tax on CO2 emissions, which increases fuel prices and affects Austrian drivers. The annual Klimabonus payment aims to offset this expense. 

The payment of this year’s climate bonus will see an increase due to the higher CO2 pricing, and so will range between €145 and €290. Last year, the bonuses varied from €110 to €220. The new figures were announced by the Austrian government after the meeting of the Council of Ministers on Wednesday, May 15th, reported ORF.

Payments will be made after the summer

You will receive the bonus if you have had your main residence in Austria registered for more than six months.

As during the precious years, the payment will be made after the summer – by bank transfers and postal deliveries via RSa letter. If you received the payment to your bank account last years, you should update your account details to finanzonline.at to ensure that everything is in order.

READ ALSO: Vienna reveals new plan for how to move away from gas heating

How much will you get?

The idea is that people who live in cities where they can rely on eco-friendly public transportation will receive a lower portion of the bonus. Those who instead have limited access to public transportation and need to pay higher costs, such as for using their car for travelling, will receive a larger portion of the bonus.

The government has created four different categories which decide how much residents in different locations will receive.

  • Category 1: Urban centres with very good infrastructure and excellent public transport facilities, such as Vienna. In Category 1 regions, there is no additional regional compensation, so the payment remains at the base amount (€145 per person).
  • Category 2: Urban centres with good infrastructure and solid public transport facilities, including cities like Graz, Salzburg, Klagenfurt, or St. Pölten. In Category 2 regions, the regional compensation is 33 percent of the base amount (€195 per person).
  • Category 3: Urban centres and surrounding areas with basic public transport facilities or good basic public transport options. Examples of category three regions are Groß-Enzersdorf, Wolfsberg, or Mittersill. In Category 3 regions, the regional compensation is 66 percent of the base amount (€245 per person).
  • Category 4: Rural communities and communities with only basic public transport facilities. Examples of category four regions include Mariazell, Werfen, and Sölden. In Category 4 regions, the regional compensation is 100 percent of the base amount (€290 per person).

READ MORE: Austria climate activist aims to take fight to Brussels

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