Many people need long-term nursing or care due to age, disease or disability. To ensure that people in need of care and their relatives can afford the right services, flat-rate financial support is available throughout Austria in the form of care allowance.
Care allowance is a form of financial support provided by the Austrian government to help cover part of the cost of care. Care allowance is a fixed amount of money that a person in need of care receives each month.
There are 7 care allowance levels. The higher the care allowance level, the more money you receive. The amount of money and the level of care depends on how much care a person needs. The classification of care needs is based on an assessment by a doctor or a nurse.
You must apply for care allowance through your social insurance provider.
You must meet the following criteria to receive care allowance:
In certain cases, it is also possible to receive care allowance in Switzerland or in an EEA country, but this must first be agreed with the pension insurance institution.
On the following page you will find a step-by-step guide to care allowance:
You can submit an application for care allowance to your social insurance provider.
You can find further information on the following page:
The care allowance is paid to the person in need of care 12 times a year – once a month, after the end of the month.
You do not have to pay income tax on care allowance. If the person meets the requirements, they receive the first payment in the month following the application.
Example: You submit an application for care allowance in June. Level 2 care allowance is approved in August. You therefore receive the care allowance retroactively from July.
Yes. Care allowance is available for children and young people who need care for at least 65 hours a month over an extended period of time – beyond what is normally required for children of the same age without impairments.
Parents must apply for care allowance before their 18th birthday.
Further information can be found on the following page:
If you are working but at the same time have to look after a person in need of care, you are entitled to a care leave allowance.
For more information, see the following page:
Last updated: June 24, 2025