Dessau –
“We are applying for the money because we are entitled to it and we need it.” Susanne Herrmann and her husband Matthias are desperate because they have waited in vain for money from the education and participation package. The family was granted the child benefit allowance with which they can claim, for example, food and school fees for their son. But although they had applied for months ago, they waited in vain for an answer or payment and turned to the MZ.
For health reasons, Susanne Herrmann does not work; her husband is currently on short-time work. Every euro is turned over twice, explains the mother, which is why she even decided not to buy any medication that the health insurance company did not pay for. “I put aside to cover the cost of the meal money,” reports the 34-year-old.
The family was shocked by the phone call to the Dessau town hall
The barrel completely overflowed a phone call her husband made with an employee in the town hall. “We shouldn’t expect anything to be worked on this year. Even if our application expires, she doesn’t think it’ll be done by then. If we should submit a new application for child allowance and get it approved, we should simply resubmit it and wait … ”Herrmanns think that this is not possible. “We need the money now, not in a year or two.”
After the MZ intervened, the city reacted immediately. “First of all, it was arranged that the family’s application be processed immediately and the payment of benefits approved,” explains press spokesman Carsten Sauer about the case. The school fee of 100 euros and the second payment of 50 euros for February were ordered, as well as the costs for the communal lunch supply for September and October.
“As of December 2020, the family will receive a declaration of assumption of costs for the communal lunch so that a direct bill can then be made between the food provider and the city of Dessau-Roßlau,” says Sauer. If the family submits the meal bill for November, it will be reimbursed this year.
There are different responsibilities in Dessau-Roßlau for processing benefits from the education and participation package. The job center is responsible for all SGB II recipients. In the case of recipients of housing benefit and child allowance, as with the Herrmann family, the city’s social and integration office takes care of it.
As of the end of November, around 1,330 participation benefits have been approved at the social welfare office this year. Around three quarters of all applications were made by recipients of housing benefit. In addition, there are applications for benefits from asylum seekers, people who receive basic income support or help with livelihood or child allowance.
Normally, says the city spokesman, “the application has to be processed within a reasonable period, usually four to five weeks after receipt of the complete documents”. Participation benefits would generally be processed promptly.
Processing backlog in the town hall is said to be due to the illness of an employee
The Herrmann family had not felt any of this. Due to an employee’s illness, “there were brief backlogs,” says Sauer. “There are currently eight backward cases relating to educational and participation benefits in final processing.”
The Herrmann family is happy that the money is now in their account. “We submitted the last invoice and we are in good spirits,” says Susanne Herrmann. However, there was no excuse for the long wait. (mz)
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