Why might I not have received an Austrian Klimabonus payment?
If you haven't received one of the Austrian government's Klimabonus payments to help offset rising cost of living, you may not be eligible. But you also might be one of an estimated 560,000 people who are eligible but haven't received one yet.
After residents of Austria were paid around €500 at this time last year as part of government efforts to offset rising cost of living, a second so-called Klimabonus payment was supposed to have been paid this year by the end of October.
The payment is a lot less than it was last time - coming in at between €110 and €220 per adult and €55 and €110 per child legally resident in Austria.
The numbers someone is entitled to depends on how much public transport is available in their area. The government reasons that those in the most remote rural areas should get the most because they still have to pay a lot for petrol to fuel their vehicles - whereas people in big cities have plenty of alternatives by public transport.
That's why Vienna residents will get the least while residents of remote villages get the most.
Payments were directly deposited into everyone's bank account or sent by voucher in the post. But a question from liberal NEOS MP Yannick Shetty in a parliamentary committee recently revealed that about 560,000 people in Austria still haven't been paid their Klimabonus as of mid-November.
So what if you haven't gotten yours? There's a few possibilities.
READ ALSO: More than 500,000 Austrians still waiting for 2023 Klimabonus payments
The government made a mistake with your case
If your data in FinanzOnline, which is where you supply your bank account to the government, is correct and you've been resident in Austria for at least six months in 2023 and your registered address is correct, you remain eligible and there may be a mistake with your case.
All regular legal residents are eligible, regardless of work status, age, citizenship or anything else.
If the months pass without you getting your payment and you're sure you're eligible, you can call the Klimabonus service team.
The service is available in German, from Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 6 pm at 0800 8000 80.
READ ALSO: Klimabonus 2023: Everything we know about Austria's subsidy payment
The government doesn't have bank account information for you
If you're eligilble but the government doesn't have bank account information for you, you were still supposed to get a Klimabonus payment. It might have just taken a bit of extra time.
That's because instead of direct deposit, the government was supposed to pay you your Klimabonus by sending you a voucher you can also use in hundreds of stores or supermarkets.
The Klimabonus could also be sent via voucher. (The Local)
They were simply to post it to you at the address that you have on your Meldezettel, or document confirming the registration of your local residence - so make sure that information is correct and up to day if you've moved recently. Otherwise your Klimabonus voucher might have been sent to your old registered address.
You may have also missed out on it if you don't have your name on the mailbox.
If you would prefer to just receive the money directly into your account, you can add your information to FinanzOnline.
READ ALSO: Reader question: I've received my Austrian Klimabonus as a voucher, now what?
You're not eligible
Finally, you might simply not be eligible.
There is no need to make a special application for the payment. The government will simply use the available data it has about you from your local authority registration (Anmeldung) to determine if you're eligible.
The only rule is that you need to have been resident in Austria for at least six months in 2023. So, anyone registering in Austria after July 1st, 2023 simply isn't eligible to receive the payment.
Furthermore, Austria must be your main residence. So if you only live in Austria part-time as a second resident, you aren't eligible for the Klimabonus.
If you've moved within Austria this year but have still been resident in Austria for at least six months, you remain eligible for the Klimabonus, but vouchers will be sent to your registered address, so take care to update it quickly to your present home if you've moved recently.
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After residents of Austria were paid around €500 at this time last year as part of government efforts to offset rising cost of living, a second so-called Klimabonus payment was supposed to have been paid this year by the end of October.
The payment is a lot less than it was last time - coming in at between €110 and €220 per adult and €55 and €110 per child legally resident in Austria.
The numbers someone is entitled to depends on how much public transport is available in their area. The government reasons that those in the most remote rural areas should get the most because they still have to pay a lot for petrol to fuel their vehicles - whereas people in big cities have plenty of alternatives by public transport.
That's why Vienna residents will get the least while residents of remote villages get the most.
Payments were directly deposited into everyone's bank account or sent by voucher in the post. But a question from liberal NEOS MP Yannick Shetty in a parliamentary committee recently revealed that about 560,000 people in Austria still haven't been paid their Klimabonus as of mid-November.
So what if you haven't gotten yours? There's a few possibilities.
READ ALSO: More than 500,000 Austrians still waiting for 2023 Klimabonus payments
The government made a mistake with your case
If your data in FinanzOnline, which is where you supply your bank account to the government, is correct and you've been resident in Austria for at least six months in 2023 and your registered address is correct, you remain eligible and there may be a mistake with your case.
All regular legal residents are eligible, regardless of work status, age, citizenship or anything else.
If the months pass without you getting your payment and you're sure you're eligible, you can call the Klimabonus service team.
The service is available in German, from Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 6 pm at 0800 8000 80.
READ ALSO: Klimabonus 2023: Everything we know about Austria's subsidy payment
The government doesn't have bank account information for you
If you're eligilble but the government doesn't have bank account information for you, you were still supposed to get a Klimabonus payment. It might have just taken a bit of extra time.
That's because instead of direct deposit, the government was supposed to pay you your Klimabonus by sending you a voucher you can also use in hundreds of stores or supermarkets.
They were simply to post it to you at the address that you have on your Meldezettel, or document confirming the registration of your local residence - so make sure that information is correct and up to day if you've moved recently. Otherwise your Klimabonus voucher might have been sent to your old registered address.
You may have also missed out on it if you don't have your name on the mailbox.
If you would prefer to just receive the money directly into your account, you can add your information to FinanzOnline.
READ ALSO: Reader question: I've received my Austrian Klimabonus as a voucher, now what?
You're not eligible
Finally, you might simply not be eligible.
There is no need to make a special application for the payment. The government will simply use the available data it has about you from your local authority registration (Anmeldung) to determine if you're eligible.
The only rule is that you need to have been resident in Austria for at least six months in 2023. So, anyone registering in Austria after July 1st, 2023 simply isn't eligible to receive the payment.
Furthermore, Austria must be your main residence. So if you only live in Austria part-time as a second resident, you aren't eligible for the Klimabonus.
If you've moved within Austria this year but have still been resident in Austria for at least six months, you remain eligible for the Klimabonus, but vouchers will be sent to your registered address, so take care to update it quickly to your present home if you've moved recently.
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