The case of a nine-member Syrian family in Vienna, which receives monthly social assistance of 4,600 euros (including rent assistance), has been causing a stir for days. In the run-up to the National Council elections, a number of outraged politicians have also spoken out, wanting to put an end to such “excesses”. Lawyer Anton Schäfer, president of the Vorarlberg Volkshilfe, can only shake his head at this spectacle. For him, the reality is quite different: Volkshilfe, whose budget is fed exclusively by donations and membership fees, supports people in the region who cannot make ends meet despite state support. “This is necessary because the current system of social assistance or minimum income and the wage policies of many companies do not reduce poverty,” Schäfer explains.