AMS estimates up to €14 million in Styria unemployment benefit repayments

People in Styria could receive up to €14 million in back payments after unemployment benefits were wrongly calculated for some low-income recipients, ORF reports. Austria’s Public Employment Service (AMS) will review affected cases automatically.

Across Austria, repayments could total about €130 million. The issue arose because some people who were exempt from unemployment insurance contributions had those contributions deducted when their benefits were calculated. A binding ruling by the Administrative Court prompted the reassessment.

The AMS in Styria is reviewing claims dating back three years from September 2026. If the earlier calculation resulted in an underpayment, the difference is to be paid automatically. The total for Styria has not yet been confirmed; regional AMS head Karl-Heinz Snobe estimated it could be between €13 million and €14 million.

The AMS says the legal framework must first be adjusted for the payments to be made. It has asked people not to contact the service for now, as no separate application is initially required. Anyone who believes they were affected and has not heard from the AMS by the end of January can contact it from February. Snobe said this may apply to people who earned less than €2,200 gross and received unemployment benefits through the end of 2026.

The issue came to light after a woman from Linz took her case to court with the Chamber of Labour. The court found that an unemployment insurance contribution had been unlawfully deducted from her benefits. The AMS in Styria has already received hundreds of calls from people seeking information.