IT problems at Region Stockholm have meant that invoices that should have gone to good people instead ended up with the demented and disabled.
Now several of the victims are threatened with debt collection claims.
– These are people who are unable to pay bills. They haven’t done anything wrong, but the region doesn’t listen, says good man Sven Vejde.
During the summer, Region Stockholm suffered from IT problems.
This has meant that bills relating to, among other things, travel services and medical trips in several cases went to the principals instead of their good men.
More of them have now received debt collection claims.
– They haven’t done anything wrong, it’s the region that has done wrong, says an upset Sven Vejde, who has a mission as a good man.
Requires the Region to take responsibility
Sven Vejde now demands that the Region take responsibility for the error.
– They must apologize, pay the costs for those affected and postpone the upcoming bills. It will be very expensive for these people, he says and continues:
– Think, now the letters might just be lying on the hall floor at the home of a person who doesn’t even understand what those envelopes are for.
Even Sven Vejde can be affected by the misinvoicing in his role as a good man.
– I must report to the Board of Trustees every year. They can look at these collection claims and think that it was me who mismanaged the principal’s finances, he says and continues:
– I can both receive a remark and in the worst case they make financial demands on me for how the situation has turned out.
Traffic administration: The problems may continue
Sophie Gunnarsson, press communicator at the Traffic Administration, writes in an email to Aftonbladet that it is unclear how many were affected and that the fault lies with the region’s invoicing system, RES.
She also warns that the error may continue to cause problems.
“The error will probably remain with the travel service’s invoicing even in the month of July”.
According to the Swedish Transport Administration, however, those affected can get help with both the invoices and the debt collection claims.
“The traffic administration regrets what happened. Of course, those affected who contact us will receive a deferment with their invoices, and for the people who have received debt collection claims and who contact us, we will of course withdraw that claim,” continues Sophie Gunnarsson.
FACTS Good man and principals
The main man is called the one who is in need of a good man. In order to have the right to a good husband, you must have a documented medical diagnosis such as dementia or mental illness.
A good man’s mission is to help his or her main men to take advantage of the legal and financial rights. This could be, for example, paying bills, applying for grants, or making sure that granted interventions for support work.
Source: Region Stockholm.
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