Soon, the 2023 climate bonus will begin to be paid out

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Soon, the 2023 climate bonus will begin to be paid out, and this year’s amount will be significantly lower than last year’s.

This year, the climate bonus comes in a slimmed-down version. On the one hand, the anti-inflation bonus of €250 will be eliminated entirely. On the other hand, the climate bonus will be paid out regionally this year (maximum €220; last year, €250 for everyone). So anyone expecting another €500 cash injection this year will be disappointed.

But how does the climate bonus work? On the one hand, there is an essential amount, which is the same for everyone and amounts to 110 euros due to the rising CO2 price. In addition, there is so-called regional compensation, which considers regional differences. This includes access to public transportation or the infrastructure available in the region, such as the number of schools or hospitals. Depending on where you live, the regional supplement can be 0 euros, 40 euros, 75 euros, or even 110 euros. If you add the basic amount, you can expect a climate bonus of up to 220 euros. What remains the same this year is that children and young people up to the age of 18 will receive half of the climate bonus, i.e., between 55 and 110 euros.

A simple rule of thumb for calculating the amount of the climate bonus is that if you live in a city, you will get less than if you live in the country. Still, even here, there are regional differences, even in the federal capital! For example, the provincial capitals are assigned to level 2, and residents of these cities receive 150 euros. In Vienna, some districts also belong to the second category. Still, some fall under level 1—for example, all inner-city districts—and receive only 110 euros, as reported by the daily newspaper “Heute.”

But there are exceptions: People with disabilities who cannot use public transport receive the basic amount and the total amount of regional compensation, i.e., 220 euros, regardless of where they live. To qualify, the disabled person’s pass must state that “public transport is unreasonable due to a permanent mobility impairment caused by a disability,” or a parking permit must be available under § 29b of the Road Traffic Regulations 1960. This also applies to people under the age of 18.