Social - More inputs to Ombudspersons for Social Affairs
The number of submissions to the Schleswig-Holstein Citizen Ombudsman for Social Affairs, Samiah El Samadoni, increased to 3,641 in the past year. This was 201 more than in 2022, as stated in the report presented in Kiel. In the 35 years that the office has existed, there have been over 101,000 submissions.
"A number that is no reason for celebration, as it shows that the support of the people in their state required the intervention of the Ombudsman and continues to do so," El Samadoni wrote in the preface to her report. "It is an important task of the Ombudsman in these times to strengthen the trust of the people in their state."
According to El Samadoni, it is the responsibility of the legislator to design laws in such a way that their implementation is associated with less administrative burden for the administration in the future. Only then will the authorities have the capacity to act in a citizen-friendly manner and offer necessary consultation to citizens. El Samadoni proposes solutions for various problems in her report – sometimes it's about small changes with great practical significance.
For example, a dispute against a decision must be signed manually and submitted in the original by mail or fax to the authority. "The legal regulation for social benefits is no longer up-to-date and does not correspond to the current technical development," so El Samadoni. It is not understandable why a dispute can be submitted electronically as an attachment by email, but not as a signed fax. "The legislator should therefore take up the submission of disputes via email as a regulated case."
The government of Schleswig-Holstein should consider modernizing the input process for disputes, as highlighted by Ombudsman Samiah El Samadoni in her report presented in Kiel. This could include allowing electronic submission of disputes with a digital signature, which is currently not possible via fax, to reduce administrative burden and improve citizen-friendliness in social affairs.
In her report, Ombudsman El Samadoni emphasized her role in strengthening social trust in Schleswig-Holstein, as she receives a significant number of submissions from Kiel and other parts of the state, totaling 3,641 in the last year, showcasing the ongoing need for her office in addressing societal issues.
