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Reader question: What should I do if I haven't received Austrian government's €500 payment?

Amanda Previdelli
Amanda Previdelli - [email protected]
Reader question: What should I do if I haven't received Austrian government's €500 payment?
The Austrian government letter claiming "Your climate bonus is coming!": but when? (Photo: Amanda Previdelli / The Local)

People in Austria have faced a rising cost of living but should now be getting a €500 payment from the government. What if yours hasn't arrived yet?

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Austria is facing increasing inflation, brought mainly by the rising energy and fuel costs, and people have also felt it as even essential goods such as food have become more expensive.

The federal government announced several measures to try and cushion or contain the rising prices, from bonus payments to a cap on electricity prices, as The Local reported. One of the most significant measures for the population is the one-off €500 payment known as the "climate and anti-inflation bonus", or Klimabonus, for short.

Every single person who has legally lived in Austria for at least 183 days in the year is entitled to it - people under 18 years old qualify for a €250 payment.

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READ ALSO: When will Austria make the €500 anti-inflation payment and how do I get it?

The government has said that payments would be paid "from the beginning of September". Still, two weeks into the month, many people still haven't gotten it.

What should I do if I haven't received it yet?

The short answer is: wait a while. Payments were meant to start from the beginning of the month, but that doesn't mean everyone would receive them on September 1st.

In fact, hundreds of thousands will have to wait until the end of the first week of October, public broadcaster ORF reported.

According to the Linz IT company Programmierfabrik, which programmed the database behind the system, the payments are ongoing. Managing director Wilfried Seyruck said: “We have been making 300,000 transfers every day since September 5th.

READ ALSO: How could Austria’s new electricity price brake benefit you?

“Therefore, it will take us 25 days until all 7.4 million claimants have received the transfer. We should be finished by the end of the first week of October.”

So, if you are getting your payment through a wire transfer to your bank account, it might take a bit longer. However, it might take even longer if you don't have your updated information with Austria's FinanzOnline authorities.

As the government stated when they announced the bonus, those who don't have their bank accounts up to date will receive a voucher instead. There are about 1.2 million people in Austria in that situation.

READ ALSO: ‘I feel ripped off’: What it’s really like living in Austria right now

In these cases, it can take until the end of October to arrive by secure mail - and then people will have to trade the voucher for cash.

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What if my partner has received it and I haven't?

The payment is individual regardless of whether you and your partner or other family members share a bank account. This means that you, your partner, and your child might share a bank account and receive the payments on different dates.

Even if someone you know has received it already on the same bank account you are supposed to receive yours, you might still get it in early October.

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