Living & Working in Austria Land area - Arbeitsmarktservice Österreich

10. soCial seCurity
Employers are responsible for registering their employees with the appropriate social security institution.
Every person is assigned a social security number with the registration. Social security
contributions of employees are shared between employers and employees; these contributions are
automatically deducted at source.
In Austria, employees and independent contractors whose income exceeds the low-income limit (€
349.01 per month in 2008) are covered by social security. Registration with the appropriate social
security institution is mandatory; every person is to pay social security contributions.
Employees with remuneration below the low-income limit as well as students are only covered by
parts of the social security system (accident insurance). Employees with income below the income
limit are eligible for voluntary health and/or pension insurance.
The payment of social security contributions is shared by the employer and employee.
The amount of social security contributions (= contribution rates) depends whether the employee is
a blue or white-collar employee, apprentice, minimum-income employee, etc.
more details are available at:
http://www.sozialversicherung.at
http://www.sozialversicherung.at/portal/index.html?ctrl:cmd=render&ctrl:window=esvportal.
channel_content.cmsWindow&p_menuid=507&p_tabid=5&p_pubid=1148
(contribution groups/rates)
Social security benefits:
� Health insurance including compulsory maternity protection: automatic and free insurance
protection for family members (subject to certain preconditions) and childcare allowance.
� Accident insurance: protection against accidents at the workplace and vocational illnesses and
their consequences, e.g. invalidity and occupational incapacity etc.
� Pension insurance: old-age pension benefits etc.
� unemployment insurance: these are for instance, unemployment benefit payments, social
welfare, special social welfare, pension advances;
Further benefits:
• social welfare as complementary benefit of the social security and/or as a benefit which may
be granted when no pension insurance, unemployment benefits are being received;
• Personal care and long-term care insurance (Pflegevorsorge and Pflegeversicherung)
There are many health insurance institutions in Austria; all health insurance institutions are under the
umbrella of the Main Association of Austrian Social Security Institutions (Hauptverband der Österreichischen
Sozialversicherungsträger): The competent insurance institution is determined by both
the place of residence and occupation. A free choice of insurance institutions is not allowed for the
compulsory health insurance.
more details are available at:
http://www.sozialversicherung.at
http://www.bmsk.gv.at/cms/site/liste.html?channel=CH0346 (social welfare)
http://www.bmsk.gv.at/cms/site/liste.html?channel=CH0041 (personal care)
http://www.help.gv.at/Content.Node/36/Seite.360521.html (care insurance)
Living & Working in Austria 2008
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