Gräsrotsbyråkrati och felaktiga utbetalningar : Riskfaktorer som bidrar till felaktiga utbetalningar från enheten för ekonomiskt bistånd

The Swedish financial welfare system is the backbone to Sweden’s socio-political culture and governmental structure. It constitutes a safety net for those in need, regardless of their socioeconomic status. However, there is a lack of understanding of risks that can occur within the system, especially in the area of wrongfully granted financial aid. This study aims to identify risk factors that can cause wrongfully granted financial aid. Additionally, the study focuses how these risks can be identified and what preventive actions can be put in place through the theoretical lens of street-level bureaucracy. The analysis was based on a mixed methods approach, consisting of a survey and semi structured interviews. This case study was conducted with case managers employed at the Department of financial aid in the Swedish municipality of Eskilstuna. The study showed that the case managers have mixed views of their supervisors and are sceptical towards their managers knowledge and understanding of the case managers assignment. This miscommunication and concomitant misunderstanding develop into additional issues and can be the cause of further risk factors within the system. Further, the miscommunication can also engender further issues within the developed structure that the case managers work from. This study concludes that the limited understanding of the case managers supervisor’s results in miscommunication, which has been identified as a risk factor for wrongfully granted financial aid. It also highlights the need for further research to on preventive actions to avoid wrongful granted financial aid within the Swedish financial welfare system.2023-06-20