Two thirds to one-person companies, almost the entire remainder to small businesses.
One of the many supports for companies in the corona crisis is the hardship fund. It should replace the entrepreneur's wages; The self-employed should make ends meet privately and receive up to 2,000 euros per month. Most of this aid has so far gone to one-person businesses (EPU, 65 percent) and micro-entrepreneurs (30 percent). On average, the payments amount to 1,200 euros per person per month, so far, as reported, a total of one billion euros has been paid out.
The eleventh “Corona month” is currently running, i.e. the eleventh observation period for which companies can apply for funding. In December 2020 there was a particularly high influx of around 121,000 self-employed people who submitted applications, said the Ministry of Finance and Economics together with the Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ). In October there were 83,000 applicants and in November 110,000. “The aim of the hardship fund was and is to help the micro-enterprises that still need support to pay the daily living costs”, said Finance Minister Gernot Blümel (ÖVP).
Aid from the hardship fund – another billion euros is still in the pot – and other support measures were recently extended to the end of June.
