More and more people are in debt – the Bailiff does not respond

The number of people in debt is increasing, but many who turn to the Kronofogden do not come forward. More than every fourth call to the authority’s customer service is disconnected.

According to the Swedish Enforcement Agency, the number of new cases has not been this large since the 1990s. Expensive food and electricity prices and high housing costs in combination with increasing unemployment have meant that many households have been hit by debt collection claims.

– It is a historic situation where we have case inflows that we have not seen since the crisis of the nineties, says deputy Rikskronofogde Cecilia Hegethorn Mogensen.

At the same rate, contacts with the authority have increased, but a lack of resources has meant that the Kronofogden has been forced to cut back on its customer service, which Hem & Hyra was the first to report on. According to information from the authority, almost 30 percent of the calls are disconnected.

– We choose almost every day between plague or cholera, and whichever choice we make, it has different consequences. Now we have chosen to prioritize the case handling itself over the waiting times in customer service, says Cecilia Hegethorn Mogensen.

Long waiting times

Today, there is a six-month waiting period before the Kronofogden begins to look at a case on debt settlement, and approximately a three-month waiting period to have a case reconsidered.

– If you can’t afford to pay the monthly fee, you can get rid of your debt settlement, which is a disaster for the victim and we have considered that to be more important than having to wait on the phone because sooner or later you will get there, says Cecilia Hegethorn Mogensen, and refers to the “My pages” function on the authority’s website where you can follow and manage your case.

Hoping for more money

At the moment, the Kronofogden does not see any lightening on the horizon in terms of the influx of new cases. The hope is that the government will grant the authority increased funding in the autumn budget.

– We sincerely hope so. We know that the Minister of Finance is well informed about the situation and we try to use the resources we have as smartly as possible. But whatever we choose, there is a high price tag, we are fully aware that it is very vulnerable people with whom we have contact, says Cecilia Hegethorn Mogensen.