The organization that has to solve the problems of duped parents in the benefit scandal, the Implementing Organization for Recovery of Allowances (UHT), is in danger of coming to a complete standstill. There would also be a culture of fear. That writes News hour after discussions with dozens of employees and former employees of the UHT.
The employees wanted to remain anonymous for fear of the consequences. According to a spokesman for the Ministry of Finance, five reports have been made to the confidential counselor about the working atmosphere. Employees say, among other things, that they are unable to provide custom work due to the fear of errors.
The turnover of personnel within the UHT is also said to be high. Currently, the UHT employs nearly 1,400 full-time positions, but hundreds of employees left last year alone. According to one employee, the ambition of State Secretary De Vries to help victims more quickly with more personnel is therefore unfeasible.
Sloppy handling
It is known that the UHT has been struggling for some time with the slow handling of requests for compensation. People who report being victims of the benefits scandal are often told relatively quickly whether they are eligible for 30,000 euros in compensation. But in the subsequent steps, for example when victims indicate that they are entitled to more money, things get stuck. It is expected to take years before all victims have been helped. The organization was founded in a short period of time and subsequently expanded. The (political) pressure to speed up the process is great.
The Ministry of Finance acknowledges that there are problems and speaks of ‘signals about high work pressure, feelings of insecurity and a need for stability and peace’, which are being addressed by the UHT leadership. The turnover is high because many people work on a temporary basis and the civil servants always have to respond to new rules. The five reports have been received by the confidential adviser of the responsible department. “Conversations are held with the reporters who want to do so by the director of the UHT,” said the department.
The House has also been criticizing the state of affairs for some time. The UHT is struggling with the tens of thousands of people who report themselves as victims. In the benefits scandal, parents who received childcare benefits were wrongly labeled fraudsters for years. As a result, many parents had to pay back large amounts of childcare allowance.
Watch all our videos about the benefits affair here:
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.