Could Not Compete
The service received two complaints in which, according to the applicants, they lost the opportunity to apply for support due to disability. Applications were submitted this May through the information system, briefly called SPIS. It kept crashing, so people had to log in again and re-enter data.
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According to the applicants, navigating this system using a screen reader was inconvenient, so all processes took much longer than for people without disabilities.
They claim the situation was further complicated by the fact that the application submission lasted only ten minutes. “The current procedure, where the decisive criterion for receiving a subsidy is the speed of application submission, essentially takes away our ability to compete for state support,” the complaints state.
Applicants believe that SPIS is insufficiently adapted not only for people with visual impairments but also for those with other disabilities that may require more time to process information.
The System Crashed Due to the Volume of Applications
In turn, the Ministry of Social Security and Labour emphasized that applications for housing support are accepted not only through SPIS but can also be brought to the municipality or sent by electronic or regular mail.
The ministry explained that the submission of applications via SPIS was stopped when all funds allocated for this measure were reserved. It was noted that a very large number of applications, about 1400, were submitted within ten minutes. Some of them were reportedly not satisfied due to limited financial resources.
At the same time, the ministry acknowledged that this procedure is not the best – it was stated that currently, ways to improve the application process for first-time home purchase support are being considered.
Controller: People Were Discriminated Against Due to Disability
As noted by the Equal Opportunities Controller Birutė Sabatauskaitė, although there are other ways to submit applications, people who used them had a much lower chance of receiving support. During the investigation, it was found that out of all 359 applications submitted personally and by email to municipalities, only 58 were registered for support. Thus, only 16% of applications not submitted through SPIS were registered.
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“This allows us to conclude that submitting applications through SPIS provided significantly greater opportunities to compete for the subsidy, so individuals who, for objective reasons such as disability, could not use this system as effectively, were placed at a disadvantage,” the controller noted.
According to her, the ministry has the duty to organize service provision so that they are accessible and people with disabilities can use them independently.
“When assessing accessibility, it must be considered which method of service provision offers the greatest opportunity to exercise the right to a subsidy. If such a method is an electronic system, it is mandatory to ensure that everyone can use it under equal conditions, regardless of disability. This was not done,” B. Sabatauskaitė concluded.
The controller added that during the investigation, the ministry was asked to explain how SPIS accessibility for people with disabilities was assessed and whether measures were taken to improve it, but no detailed response was received.
The ministry stated that such an assessment was conducted earlier but did not provide any details, such as what conclusions were made, what recommendations were implemented, etc.
The service recommended that the ministry change the procedure for submitting and reviewing applications for first-time home purchase support, ensuring equal conditions regardless of people’s disabilities. The ministry was also advised to conduct an accessibility assessment of SPIS, involving organizations and experts of people with disabilities.
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