Family Support and Leisure Activities for People with Disabilities

The program Family Relief and Leisure Activities for People with Disabilities in Styria provides hourly financial support to relieve relatives or former caregivers and to accompany affected individuals during their leisure time. Eligible persons with permanent physical, intellectual, psychological, or sensory impairments receive a subsidy to cover care services according to the Styrian Child and Youth Welfare Act. At the same time, the measure promotes participation in leisure activities when independent organization of leisure time is not possible and relatives cannot provide support in accordance with § 36a AVG. Thus, the funding serves both to relieve the family environment and to promote the social participation of people with disabilities.

Requirements include, among others, the main residence in Styria, citizenship of an EEA state or Switzerland, or an equivalent residence permit, as well as a residence entitlement of more than three months. Applications can be submitted at any time from January 1, 2026; for this purpose, the application for assistance under the Styrian Disability Act must be submitted to the responsible district authority. Department 11 “Social Affairs, Labor and Integration” of the Styrian State Government is responsible for planning, awarding, and processing and works closely with regional providers and the European Social Fund. Through these continuously available subsidies, the compatibility of caregiving with professional or private obligations is facilitated, and the leisure activities of people with disabilities are sustainably supported.