Hi everyone
Half rant, half just to put some facts out there.
As it has been explained in this article, due to an upgrade of an IT system at SECO, there has been big issues getting unemployment benefits paid out for the month of January.
This is nothing new, and honestly an IT clusterfuck that was waiting to happen.
However, what surprises me is 1. The complete lack of responsibility from SECO or anything else and 2. Why it really is just covered with 1 single article at SRF and our beloved Boulevard semi tabloid magazine 20minuten (sarcasm).
Let’s start with the issue about taking responsibility – back in November my wife got a letter about the upcoming change in the IT system. The letter was in part to inform her, that an upcoming IT system change would mean that her unemployment benefits would be paid out earlier in December as long as she kept to certain deadline. In part the letter was also about reassuring her that “everything would be ok, and this was a trivial matter”. So far so good – she kept to the deadlines and got the money paid out in December.
January comes, no warnings. No issues or at least no issues communicated about upcoming delays in payments. So everything should be right?
27th of January we get the article I linked to before. In casual SRF style it explains the issue. “But chrismantle, isn’t that good”? Well, it’s very non-explanatory in the sense that “everything is going to be paid out end of the month” so no harm no foul?
Today is the 2nd of February and NOTHING and NOBODY has been paid
We are not talking about a small fuckup. We are talking about a pillar for ensuring that the 147.000 unemployed in this country can pay for their bills. And note that the social impact of unemployement in this country is mainly skewed towards the lower half of the income spectrum.
This should not have been able to happen. And someone seriously needs to take care of this.
Back to the media, the lackluster press coverage of the topic is embarrassing. A single article saying that “there is an issue”? Come on.
Even 20min who usually takes any chance to bash anyone and everyone are silent. What the hell is happening?
BACK TO THE SITUATION OF MY WIFE
My wife was finally able to reach UNIA this morning. And guess the response? They are not expecting to get the money paid out UNTILL THE END OF THE WEEK. Every payment is handled manually, the system does not work.
Luckily we have savings to get by, but think about all the people living paycheck to paycheck
—
chrismantle