Systemic administrative delays at the Deputy Ministry of Welfare

The Commissioner for Administration, Maria Stylianou-Lottidi, has issued a report highlighting systemic and long-standing failures at the Deputy Ministry of Welfare regarding the review of benefit appeals. Despite a previous report on May 29, 2024, recommending structural reforms to improve response times, the Commissioner continues to receive numerous complaints about identical issues. Delays are extensive, with some cases pending for up to three years. The Ministry, which manages approximately 400 million euros in annual benefits for 103,000 beneficiaries, is hindered by chronic staff shortages and excessive bureaucracy. Parliamentarians have proposed digitizing application forms and centralizing access to government databases to prevent errors, such as the incorrect payment of benefits. Currently, the Ministry faces 38 vacancies, with only five new positions recently approved to help address these operational challenges.