Assessing the targeting of Austrian Social Assistance Schemes: who is left behind?

Minimum Income Schemes (MIS) are fundamental policies for reducing poverty and social exclusion in the European Union. However, their effectiveness varies widely across countries and, in some cases, even within regions. This is the case for Austria, where MIS are implemented regionally. Our goal is to evaluate the targeting efficiency of these schemes in Austria at the local level, considering different household typologies, recognizing that aggregated analyses may obscure disparities between poor households. To do so, we apply small area estimation methods to estimate the coverage rates, relying on survey and register data. We contribute to the literature by providing model-based estimates of the at-risk-of poverty rate and offering a new insight into poverty targeting in Austria.