From Hildburg Bruns
Berlin’s social welfare offices are threatened with new overloads because they have ancient computer programs.
The Berlin Pass campaign puts the spotlight on Berlin’s office: Clerks from the social welfare offices are supposed to print out and check performance records by hand and stick QR codes on them.
Because in November, 101,560 Berliners will receive a new proof of entitlement for their Berlin Pass. No longer from the Citizens’ Registration Office, but from your respective service center – such as a job center, social welfare office, housing benefit office, refugee office, prison, etc.
And that means big trouble! Because while the job centers process the process automatically, Berlin’s social welfare offices only have outdated software.
That means: Pull out the process, check the service period, put the QR sticker on the list of the community of needs, put it in a bag, and send it off. On average, the effort per case is estimated at eleven minutes. In Neukölln alone, two additional jobs would be needed for this.
Neukölln’s Social Councilor Falko Liecke (49, CDU) is angry about the additional burden on his colleagues, especially after the heavy workload for Ukraine refugees Photo: Wolf Lux
“It has been known since 2020 that the procedure for the Berlin Pass is to be changed. Since then, the Senate hasn’t managed to get a uniform digital implementation across Berlin off the ground,” says Neukölln’s City Councilor for Social Affairs, Falko Liecke (49, CDU).
All social city councilors reject the cumbersome adhesive process. Stefan Strauß, spokesman for the Social Affairs Senate, confirms: “It is true that talks are still taking place with the social welfare offices. We are working on a technically easy-to-implement solution.”
By the way: So that Berlin Pass holders can no longer be recognized by outsiders as users of the social ticket (27.50 euros/month), the BVG will send out a new “VBB Berlin Ticket S customer card” – but only to Application.
This carrier card has the format of a credit card, is made of plastic and is similar to regular BVG tickets.