Processing times at several authorities have increased and people are left without information about compensation. According to the trade union ST, it is due to a system from the 90s.
Now ST requires a new calculation system.
– We have to come up with a more modern way of governing the authorities, because now it’s stupid austerity, says Britta Lejon, chairman of ST.
TV4 Nyheterna has previously reported on sick leave Klas Hertzman-Ericson, who, while waiting for a decision on sickness benefits from the Social Insurance Agency, was forced to go several months without income.
But Försäkringskassan is not the only authority with long processing times. Several people have testified about similar experiences from, among others, the Social Services, the Swedish Pensions Agency and the Swedish Transport Agency.
Something which, according to the trade union ST, is due to a lack of resources.
– The authorities have insufficient resources to employ people, says Britta Lejon, chairman ST.
“Interest on interest effect”
The productivity deduction is a system that was introduced in the 90s to increase the efficiency of Swedish authorities. The system means that the authorities’ grants are first calculated with the wage trend and then automatically reduced by just over one percent.
ST believes that this, through a kind of “interest on interest effect” over 30 years, has in practice led to a reduction in funding by 40 percent.
– There are some exceptions, but otherwise it is the case that all authorities over 30 years have received less money than the cost increases for IT equipment, premises and salaries had actually required, says Britta Lejon.
“Foolish stinginess”
Similar criticism has been raised for several years from ST and the Employers’ Agency as well as individual authorities. But according to the government, despite long processing times, it is not appropriate to touch the productivity deduction.
– There are very few grants in the state budget that are compensated for wages and price trends. Our authorities are compensated to some extent, but not fully, and I think it would be unreasonable if state authorities were the only part of the state budget that was protected from price and wage trends, says Minister of Civil Affairs Erik Slottner (KD).
But it is a statement that ST questions.
– We have to come up with a more modern way of governing the authorities, because now the government and the Riksdag are doing stupid things, says Britta Lejon.