The Swedish Public Employment Service is severely criticised for multiple shortcomings in a case involving enterprise start-up support, and for continuing to process the case in the same manner long after the authority had realised and acknowledged its shortcomings

Summary of the decision: In the opinion of the Parliamentary Ombudsman, the Swedish Public Employment Service failed in several regards in its processing of a case involving enterprise start-up support. The processing time was unacceptably long and the authority failed to inform the individual at any point during processing that her case was likely to be significantly delayed. There were also serious shortcomings in documentation and the registration of documents in the case. Furthermore, the Swedish Public Employment Service urged the individual on several occasions to submit supplementation in a certain way, despite there being no legal grounds for doing so.

The Parliamentary Ombudsman takes a particularly grave view of the fact that the Swedish Public Employment Service continued to process the case in the same manner even after the authority had acknowledged shortcomings in a statement to the Parliamentary Ombudsman. The Parliamentary Ombudsman expects that, having admitted shortcomings in its processing, an authority will ensure that the continued processing of the case is not characterised by the same shortcomings, and considers it highly remarkable that the admission in the Swedish Public Employment Service’s statement did not lead to more correct processing. The Parliamentary Ombudsman also takes a grave view of the shortcomings in the case given that the Swedish Public Employment Service has previously been criticised for similar shortcomings, such as slow processing and failing to observe the principle of legality. Overall, the Swedish Public Employment Service is deserving of severe criticism for shortcomings in the case.