Salzburg mother’s registered address blocks housing benefit

A single mother in the Pinzgau region says she can barely cover her monthly costs because she is ineligible for housing benefit. ORF reports that maintenance paid for her son is counted as her income, even though the money goes to the state of Salzburg.

Sandra Seitinger has three children. Her son lives in supported shared accommodation but remains registered as having his main residence at her apartment. His father pays maintenance to the state, rather than to Seitinger, because the boy lives in the accommodation. However, the maintenance is still included in the calculation of her income, pushing her above the threshold for housing benefit.

Seitinger pays more than 1,200 euros a month for her 88-square-metre apartment. Her eldest daughter has moved out, while her youngest, a school student, still lives with her. Seitinger said she had considered moving, but rents nearby mean a 60-square-metre apartment would cost about the same as her current home.

The case is known to the state’s housing support department. Matthias Wenger, an official in the department, said the rules required it to take into account the income of everyone living in the apartment. Because Seitinger’s son is registered there, his maintenance must be included, he said.

If her son’s main residence were registered elsewhere, Seitinger’s housing benefit could be recalculated and she might qualify. But she said she would then lose family allowance, which she also needs. “As a single parent, the situation naturally becomes more difficult,” she said.