Bureaucracy alarm: Social counseling is desperately fighting against the applicant!

Bureaucracy alarm: Social counseling is desperately fighting against the applicant!

Siegburg, Deutschland - alarm mood in Siegburg! Workers' welfare (AWO) Bonn/Rhein-Sieg raises the alarm in view of the explosively rising advisory needs. Barbara König, the managing director, warns: "This work is no longer well refinanced." While the federal government speaks of a heavy relief for companies, consultants are fighting with a sudden rising crowd - many citizens are dependent on qualified help, but the means are oppressive. A blatant budget gap threatens the urgently needed advice!

The dark balance: A need for advice of 200,000 euros is only offset by a budget of 115,000 euros! The AWO and other social providers such as Caritas and Diakonie have to pay the missing 85,000 euros out of their own pocket. This is not only a scandal, but also a severe burden on social counseling. The consultants are under immense pressure, because the problems of the clients are becoming increasingly diverse. "There is more and more bureaucracy," states König, speaks of the true bureaucracy wall, who looks for advice.

growing concerns in social counseling

The clientele has long been struggling beyond the classic concerns. Nathanael Wedler, AWO consultant, reports on clients who fight with flooding authorities. So a younger woman who fought for social benefits came into a desperate situation after her husband's sudden death. And Hans-Walter Ahr, an 85-year-old pensioner, is dependent on the support in applying for his care level. "I have always been well advised by Mr. Wedler," he says gratefully and looks at the intensive challenges.

The situation is further complicated by an increasingly digital world. Christiane Kaspari, head of department, criticizes the unequal handling of the forms and the long processing times. Clients often have to wait months for answers, while their financial problems are worrying. "In the Rhein-Sieg district, the social counseling is catastrophic-just 1.5 jobs for 610,000 inhabitants!" An alarming signal that cannot be ignored.