Every fourth type of poverty affected
Business
In Salzburg, every fourth child is now affected by poverty. According to Volkshilfe, there are 368,000 children across Austria. Because of inflation, this figure could even triple by the end of the year. Rising prices are a concern for many families. The inquiries to Volkshilfe are increasing rapidly.
Mothers and fathers who no longer know how to afford food call Volkshilfe. Other counseling sessions deal with heating bills that become unaffordable. More people than ever before are turning to Volkshilfe with these concerns, says Erich Fenninger, the organization’s director.
It’s not just those who were poor before the rise in prices, but now people from the lower middle class are also getting in touch, says Fenninger: “Some people come and say they’ve donated a few euros to Volkshilfe every month, but now they can no longer afford it and they need support themselves.”
Salzburg: 21,000 children affected by poverty
There are more than 21,000 children in Salzburg who are affected by child poverty. Volkshilfe assumes that child poverty will triple by the end of the year.
Erich Fenninger says that this could be changed with basic child security, i.e. a kind of special family allowance: “If we do what is affordable and financeable, then we would have happier children in Austria and not the unemployed adults of tomorrow.” Development is known from research, according to the director of the SPÖ-affiliated organization Volkshilfe.