- Application for “Establishment of membership of the group of eligible people with disability” and simultaneously
- Application for the issue of a disability pass
What preconditions do I have to meet?
- Austrian national
- A disability pass is issued for disability of at least 50%
IMPORTANT!!!
Under the Austrian “Assessment regulations for the establishment of the degree of incapacity in accordance with § 14 para. 3 of the Austrian Act relating to the employment of people with disability”, this 50% is only achieved from NYHA Class III upwards.
You will be able to obtain the necessary forms from the competent provincial office of the Federal Social Welfare Office or online and it is essential that you enclose the following documents with the forms:
- Original copy of evidence of nationality
- Copies of all relevant findings available
- Please be sure to state whether your medicines are taken orally, via a pump or an inhaler!! (x-ray images should be taken with you to the subsequent examination)
- Pension assessments, if available
- Passport photo no more than six months old
IMPORTANT!!!
Please also apply for the additional entry “Cannot reasonably be expected to use public transport because of permanent health impairment”:
To do this, note the additional entry in the application for the disability pass under point 3, after “In particular”.
All documents must be submitted to the competent Federal Social Welfare Office. After a few weeks, you will be sent an invitation to be examined by a competent medical specialist.
(The complexity of the examination and the time required will depend on the doctor involved and may therefore vary from one patient to the next.)
After this examination, I will receive by post the decision as to my degree of incapacity and a disability pass in the event of a degree of incapacity of 50% or above.
The following benefits may be granted, depending on the degree of incapacity:
Protection against dismissal
From this time on, dismissal by an employer is only legitimate if consent has been obtained from the Disability Committee set up by the Federal Social Welfare Office.
If the employer does not obtain the consent of the Disability Committee, the dismissal is legally ineffective and a case may be brought before the competent industrial and social welfare tribunal for “Establishment of an existing contract of employment”.
The employment relationship must have been in existence for longer than 6 months at the time of notice of dismissal being given, unless an industrial accident is involved or a change of employment within a company.
If you are considering a change of job, bear in mind that “membership of the group of eligible people with disability” may also result in disadvantages for you.
Support measures
Support may be granted with other rehabilitation applications to compensate for disability in the workplace.
Additional annual leave
If the collective bargaining agreement or the works agreement provides for this, it must be granted.
Income tax exemption
May be applied for from the competent tax office in accordance with the degree of incapacity (complete the section headed “Exceptional costs” under point 8 of the declaration).
Fare reductions
May be claimed on ÖBB rail lines if the degree of incapacity is at least 70%.
e.g. Vorteilscard rail discount card costs only €19.90 /year instead of €99.90
Other reductions
Show your pass every time you go to a concert or the opera or visit public events, e.g. zoos, trade fairs, etc. There may be a discount, depending on the organiser.