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The Ombudsman has insisted that the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration resolve the delays in granting appointments at the various Social Security offices and the lack of face-to-face appointments. The institution makes this recommendation with the aim that, from this Ministry, “the deficiencies appreciated in the citizen services should be overcome, a situation far removed from the necessary provision of an effective and quality public service, incompatible with the right to good administration”.

Following a recommendation addressed, on 19 August 2022, to the Secretary of State for Social Security and Pensions, on the deficiencies detected in the service of prior appointments and face-to-face attention, the Ombudsman raises the recommendations to the head of the Ministry due to “the incessant number of complaints received related to the difficulties of citizens to obtain prior appointments in any province of the national territory, which allows them to receive direct attention in the services of attention and information to the public, alternative to the telematic communication offered by the Social Security”.

The institution considers that, despite the measures adopted by the Ministry to resolve this situation, these “are not sufficient to receive effective and efficient attention that allows direct management of citizens’ needs, especially those of the group affected by the digital divide, and in situations of vulnerability for whom face-to-face attention is a preferential need”.

Individuals point out in their complaints that they are forced to make multiple telephone calls “at different times and on different days in their desire to obtain a prior appointment, as well as successive procedures via the internet, mostly without positive results, which represents an objective and direct breach of the obligation set out in Article 103.1 of the Constitution, according to which the Administration must objectively serve the general interest and act under the principle of efficiency in the performance of its work”. They also point out that the situation affects the free administrative procedure, as they are forced to hire consultancy services to complete their administrative procedures successfully.